Falasteen on Screen. Lyd (2023) Film Screening & Q&A with filmmakers at the State Theatre
1 hr 18 min, A Sci-fi documentary directed by Rami Younis and Sarah Ema Friedland
Sunday, March 23, 2025
5:00-7:30 PM
Off Campus Location
Sci-fi Documentary | 1hr 18 min | Rami Younis and Sarah Ema Friedland | 2025 | Filmmaker Q&A to follow after the film with Rami Younis, Sarah Ema Friedland, and Mekarem Eljamal
This feature-length, sci-fi documentary shares multiple pasts, presents, and futures of the city of Lyd in Palestine/Israel. From the perspective of the city herself, voiced by Palestinian actress Maisa Abd Elhadi, the viewer is guided through the lifespan of a five-thousand-year-old city and its residents. Lyd was once a thriving Palestinian city with a rich history. In 636AD, It was even considered the first capital of Palestine. When the State of Israel was founded in 1948, Lyd became an Israeli city, and in the process, hundreds of Lyd’s Palestinian residents were massacred by Israeli forces, and most of the city’s 50,000 Palestinian residents were exiled. Today, the city has a Jewish Israeli majority and a Palestinian minority and is disinvested and divided by racism and violence. For Palestinians, Lyd’s story is a painful and tragic fall from grace, which is why our film dares to ask the question: what would the city be like had the Israeli occupation of Lyd never happened?
Using never-before-seen archival footage of the Israeli soldiers who carried out the massacre and expulsion, the city explains that these events were so devastating that they fractured her reality, and now there are two Lyds –– one occupied and one free. As the film unfolds, documentary portions follow a chorus of characters through their daily lives, creating a tapestry of the Palestinian experience of this city, and vivid animations use the language of speculative fiction to envision an alternate reality where the same documentary characters live free from the trauma of the past and the violence of the present. As the film cuts between fantastical and documentary realities, it ultimately leaves the viewer questioning which future should prevail.
This screening is a part of the Falasteen on Screen Film Festival, brought to you by Marquee Arts, Islamic Studies, Center for Middle Eastern and North African Studies, Middle East Studies, Arab and Muslim American Studies, Department of Anthropology, Digital Islamic Studies Curriculum, the International Institute, Program in International and Comparative Studies, Department of Film, Television, & Media, Imagine Fitness and Yoga, Palestine Aid Society of America.
The festival highlights the work of Palestinian filmmakers and serves as a platform for educating audiences about the history, culture, and experiences of Palestinians. Our goal is to provide a deeper understanding of life under occupation through compelling narratives that span past and present. The festival will take place in person at both the Michigan and State Theaters in Ann Arbor.
2025 Falasteen on Screen Film Lineup:
February 17th: Double Feature of Short Films from Gaza: Ahmad Alive & Bisan
February 26th: Life is Beautiful, A Letter to Gaza
March 23rd: Lyd – Q&A with the filmmaker & U-M alumna, Mekarem Eljamal
More info: https://marquee-arts.org/FILM-SERIES/
If there is anything we can do to make this event accessible to you, please contact islamicstudies@umich.edu. Please be aware that advance notice is necessary as some accommodations may require more time for the university to arrange.
This feature-length, sci-fi documentary shares multiple pasts, presents, and futures of the city of Lyd in Palestine/Israel. From the perspective of the city herself, voiced by Palestinian actress Maisa Abd Elhadi, the viewer is guided through the lifespan of a five-thousand-year-old city and its residents. Lyd was once a thriving Palestinian city with a rich history. In 636AD, It was even considered the first capital of Palestine. When the State of Israel was founded in 1948, Lyd became an Israeli city, and in the process, hundreds of Lyd’s Palestinian residents were massacred by Israeli forces, and most of the city’s 50,000 Palestinian residents were exiled. Today, the city has a Jewish Israeli majority and a Palestinian minority and is disinvested and divided by racism and violence. For Palestinians, Lyd’s story is a painful and tragic fall from grace, which is why our film dares to ask the question: what would the city be like had the Israeli occupation of Lyd never happened?
Using never-before-seen archival footage of the Israeli soldiers who carried out the massacre and expulsion, the city explains that these events were so devastating that they fractured her reality, and now there are two Lyds –– one occupied and one free. As the film unfolds, documentary portions follow a chorus of characters through their daily lives, creating a tapestry of the Palestinian experience of this city, and vivid animations use the language of speculative fiction to envision an alternate reality where the same documentary characters live free from the trauma of the past and the violence of the present. As the film cuts between fantastical and documentary realities, it ultimately leaves the viewer questioning which future should prevail.
This screening is a part of the Falasteen on Screen Film Festival, brought to you by Marquee Arts, Islamic Studies, Center for Middle Eastern and North African Studies, Middle East Studies, Arab and Muslim American Studies, Department of Anthropology, Digital Islamic Studies Curriculum, the International Institute, Program in International and Comparative Studies, Department of Film, Television, & Media, Imagine Fitness and Yoga, Palestine Aid Society of America.
The festival highlights the work of Palestinian filmmakers and serves as a platform for educating audiences about the history, culture, and experiences of Palestinians. Our goal is to provide a deeper understanding of life under occupation through compelling narratives that span past and present. The festival will take place in person at both the Michigan and State Theaters in Ann Arbor.
2025 Falasteen on Screen Film Lineup:
February 17th: Double Feature of Short Films from Gaza: Ahmad Alive & Bisan
February 26th: Life is Beautiful, A Letter to Gaza
March 23rd: Lyd – Q&A with the filmmaker & U-M alumna, Mekarem Eljamal
More info: https://marquee-arts.org/FILM-SERIES/
If there is anything we can do to make this event accessible to you, please contact islamicstudies@umich.edu. Please be aware that advance notice is necessary as some accommodations may require more time for the university to arrange.
| Building: | Off Campus Location |
|---|---|
| Location: | The State Theatre, 233 S State St, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 |
| Event Type: | Film Screening |
| Tags: | Film, Global Islamic Studies, International, Middle East Studies |
| Source: | Happening @ Michigan from Global Islamic Studies Center, Department of Middle East Studies, International Institute, Department of Film, Television, and Media, Center for Middle Eastern and North African Studies, Program in International and Comparative Studies, Department of Anthropology, Arab and Muslim American Studies (AMAS) |
