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Sep
26
6:00 PM18:00

Stitches

Lightbox 350 King St W, Toronto, Cinema 2

Stitches

Deena A. Alsaweer
2024
Canada

Screening as a part of Homegrown Shorts collection

Arabic with English Subtitles

When news breaks out that wedding dresses are banned from entering Palestine, Kareem's world is shaken up. His spunky niece, Hind, convinces him to go on a mission to disguise and smuggle the wedding dresses as conspicuous packing wrapping for shishas (hookah) into Palestine.

Their plan takes a poignant turn when a news update reveals that the trade embargo was the start of another war, leaving Kareem to rebuild not just his shop but also his sense of joy and community. With a mix of humour, cultural nuance, and a touch of bittersweet reality, this short film explores the beautiful power of human connection and the resilience of the Palestinian spirit.

Deena Alsaweer is a Fulbright Scholar with an M.A. in Film/TV from the Savannah College of Art & Design. Since leaving her career in International Logistics a decade ago, Deena has gone on to win several best screenplay awards and has worked with a range of production companies on TV, digital projects, and films for broadcasters such as TVOKids, CBC, Unis TV, Hallmark, and Bell Fibe TV1. What drives her art is being a passionate champion for underrepresented voices.

Featured Cast
Sam Awwad Marianne Laver Ivana Khadaj Hussain Dawwas

Canadian Premiere

Learn More: Stitches

Co-presented by:

Trinity Square Video (TSV)

Director of Digital Arts Resource Centre (DARC)

MENA Film Festival

View Event →
Sep
26
6:00 PM18:00

The Poem We Sang

Lightbox 350 King St W, Toronto, Cinema 2

the poem we Sang

Annie Sakkab

20 min
2023
Canada

Screening as a part of Homegrown Shorts collection

Arabic with English Subtitles

The Poem We Sang is a 20-minute, colour and black and white, experimental documentary that meditates on love and longing - the love of one's family and the longing for one's home, contemplated through overcoming the trauma of loss of family home and of forced migration, transforming lifelong regrets into a healing journey of creative catharsis and bearing witness.

Annie Sakkab, a Palestinian-Jordanian-Canadian, is an independent filmmaker and photojournalist. She seeks long-form narrative with a focus on women’s issues, identity, and social justice. Her first short documentary Hollie’s Dress had its World Premiere at Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival 2020 and was created in collaboration with The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Her second short experimental documentary, The Poem We Sang examines Intergenerational trauma and post-memory in the context of Palestine.

Learn More: The Poem We Sang

Co-presented by:

Trinity Square Video (TSV)

Director of Digital Arts Resource Centre (DARC)

MENA Film Festival

View Event →
Sep
26
6:00 PM18:00

TPFF Home Grown Shorts

Lightbox 350 King St W, Toronto, Cinema 2

TPFF Home Grown Shorts

60 minutes
Various
Short Films
2024
Canada

English

TPFFl is proud to present original work by local Palestinian filmmakers. The films were developed, workshopped, filmed and produced through the 2024 TPFF Film Residency, in partnership with Trinity Square Video. After an exciting year-long process, TPF presents the world premieres of these incredible films:

Stiches by Deena Alsaweer

De-Clutter by Rimah Jabr

The Poem We Sang by Annie Sakkab

World Premiere

Learn More: TPFF Home Grown Shorts

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