Award-winning Gaza documentary to screen in Leeds
The Phoenix of Gaza, directed by British-Palestinian journalist Yousef Al-Helou will be screened in both Bradford and Leeds this week.
A documentary featuring footage filmed in Gaza in the summer of 2023 will be screened at Seven Arts Leeds, this Sunday as part of the Leeds Palestinian Film Festival . The Phoenix of Gaza, directed by Yousef Al-Helou, captures the experiences of Palestinians prior to the October 7 attacks and the escalation that followed.
The documentary has already been screened in over 20 countries over 100 times. Further screenings have been planned across the UK and globally.
Ahead of the upcoming screenings, Yousef spoke to The Gryphon about the documentary and its success thus far.
Q: What initially led you to begin filming in 2023?
Yousef: So after being away in London, I wanted to reconnect with the city of my birth and with my family and show it as I know it: the beaches , the meetings, the markets. In Gaza there are great people who are full of life. I wanted to make a film about a place that was alive. I had no idea what was going to happen when I was there, so I spent two months there. I wanted to share it on my YouTube channel.
Q: How did your own experience as a journalist influence the way you put together the documentary?
Yousef: With 23 years of experience as professional political journalist, I know how to address the narrative. I wanted to highlight the grievances of Palestinians, our struggle to survive, our cultural heritage, our identity, and address the origins of Palestine, and add historical context into this documentary.
Q: What do you hope Leeds audiences will take away from this documentary?
Yousef: So I would hope that the audience leaves with a message of hope, a message to keep speaking about Gaza. What’s going on is a human cause. So in short, this documentary is a love letter to my city.
During the interview, Yousef also reflected on the loss of his sister and her 7 children, who were killed by a strike on their home. He spoke about dozens of family members and colleagues in journalism who had been killed since October 8, 2023.
The documentary has already won awards including, Best Documentary at both the London Independent Film awards and the Edinburgh Film Awards.