UNSILENCED: Anti-Palestinian Racism Shorts+
TIFF Lightbox, Cinema 1
You’ve Seen it on TV
Screening with: Other Unsilenced films
Duration: 18 min Director: Rimah Jabr Genre: Dark Dramedy Year: 2025
Country: Canada Languages: English and Arabic with Subtitles
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:
A graduate student is absurdly interrogated by a stalker and his two assistants over an old social media post. But there are strong similarities to a play he is acting in. As Zain’s interrogation plays out over 18 tense minutes, the line between fiction and reality blurs, and he slowly realizes everything he does is being watched—leaving him to wonder who is truly observing.
The film takes an abstract approach to themes of censorship and erasure, deliberately avoiding specific names, places, or historical events. Zain’s story unfolds within a surreal, theatrical realm, inviting viewers to immerse themselves in its emotional and political currents, untethered from any fixed time or geography—and to question whether he is concealing or revealing the truth.
Cast: Ameer Idreis, Mark Cassidy, Iris Rhian, Aaron White, Nada Abu Saleh, Kari Pederson, Kate Lushington, Robert McNeely.
DoP: Gui Morilha
Awards: Work in Progress Presentation
More Info: Rimah Jabr
This project has been made possible in part by the Government of Canada, the Arab Canadian Lawyers Association and Charles Street Video in partnership with Toronto Palestine Film Festival
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”