Gender, the aspirations of the disabled, working woman, Samaritan minority the wall and refugees were the main topics covered by students of the Journalism Department when producing their films. The Film Festival was organized in cooperation with the United Nations Fund Population Agency, UNFPA. The Journalism Department organized its third film festival in order to encourage its students to produce their own films and documentaries; the opening of the Festival was attended by the university administration, UNFPA, local associations and university students. Students passed through hard training for several weeks in order to obtain the necessary skills to produce the documentaries. The documentaries were:
Child Memory
“Childhood Memory” expresses the dark memory our children have, it explains and highlights the impact of the current situation on their psychological health. The film involves children talking about their own experiences and fears.
Isha
A film about the Samaritan minority shows the integration of Samaritan woman into the Nabulsi society. The film presents her daily life, her job, education and her religious practises and believes. Isha is one of the first documentaries to be produced about the Samaritans community which is considered as one of the smallest in the region.
They are Still There
This refugee film explains the miserable conditions of the children of the refugee camps. It explains the hard living conditions they are surviving in however, it also shows their determination to live their life as normal as possible, just like other children from around the world.
Strong Enough
This film about disabled citizens presents three examples of local citizens living with special needs. The film shows these people’s determination to live life as normally as possible inspite of their disabilities.
Palestinian Woman Facing the Wall
This documentary tries to explain the deep impact the apartheid wall has on Palestinian woman. It also presents another face of the wall that prevents Palestinians from planting their confiscated lands or even visiting it.
Woman at Work
This is a documentary that shows the life of a working woman who is dedicated to her work as a carpenter in a conservative society where woman have never worked in a similar job. This is a story of a woman who prefers to suffer and struggle than conform to patriarchal norms and receive hand outs from men.
At the end of the festival, the representative of UNFPA, Mr. Hafiz Shuqair, presented a new digital camera as a gift for the Journalism Department for the use of its students. The Judging Committee selected the documentary, Child Memory as the winner of the first award while the documentary, They Are Still There, got the second award, The third award was granted for two documentaries; Isha and Woman at Work. An award was presented in the name of Martyr Shaden Abu Hijleh, for the documentary Palestinian Woman Facing the Wall. Mr. Ayman Masri, Instructor at the Journalism Department, granted the fifth award for the Documentary Strong Enough.