UNSILENCED: Anti-Palestinian Racism Shorts+
TIFF Lightbox, Cinema 1
Between the Silence & the Noise
Screening with: Other Unsilenced films
Duration: 10 min Director: Sara Balkis Genre: Drama Year: 2025
Country: Canada Languages: English, Arabic
TPFF is proud to present three original works created by local Palestinian filmmakers. The films were developed, workshopped, filmed and produced through the 2025 TPFF Film Residency. After an exciting year-long process, TPFF presents the world premieres of these incredible films. Two of the films were produced with the financial support of the Canadian government and the Arab Canadian Lawyers Association in partnership with TPFF to explore the themes of anti-Palestinian racism. The film Exception was added to this collection to round out the understanding of the manifestation of APR, which impacts so many in our community.
Description:
Julia, a young Lebanese-Canadian journalism student, lives with and cares for her reserved grandfather Antoine. After attending a class on the Lebanese Civil War, she is moved by her professor’s stories and images—especially one photograph of a woman who seems strangely familiar.
Her questions unsettle her professor, who evades answering. Determined to uncover the truth, Julia searches through old documents and photos at home. When her grandfather returns from his evening stroll, Julia reaches out for the first time to ask about his past in Lebanon—and finally learns the hidden fate of her grandmother.
A moving short about memory, silence, and intergenerational trauma.
Cast: Tracy Hawchar, Hanna El-Sayyagh, Petre Batakliev
More Info: Canva site
“This project has been made possible in part by the Toronto Palestine Film Festival during the 2025 Residency”
Co-presented by:
Arab Canadian Lawyers Association
Independent Jewish Voices Canada
This film will be screening with Paula Sahyoun’s “The Silence They Taught Us”, Rimah Jabr’s “You’ve Seen it on TV”, Rodrigue Hammal’s “Exception” and Sara Balkis’ “Between the Silence & the Noise”