A State of Passion

Palestine Cinema Days is a film festival organized by NGO Filmlab Palestine, which has taken place since 2014. In 2023, on the 10th annivercary of the festival, local screenings were cancelled. Since then, the festival has held screenings all over the world on November 2. This year the festival also reaches Estonia, with screenings of „A State of Passion“ taking place in Tartu Elektriteater and Vabamu in Tallinn.

The documentary by Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi tells the story of a British-Palestinian surgeon Dr. Ghassan Abu Sittah, through whose eyes we will see the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza. During two years, the actions of the Israeli military have led to the death of more than 50 000 people, 80% of whom are civilians. How to acts as a doctor in a situation where even medical workers and hospitals have become targets?

Although the Israeli government presents its actions as a response to the terrorist attack carried out by Hamas in the fall of 2023, the UN Special Committee, Doctors Without Borders, Amnesty International, the International Federation for Human Rights, and many scholars of genocide studies and international law have concluded that Israel is committing genocide. Organizations operating withing Israel, Physicians for Human Rights – Israel and B’Tselem, have lately agreed with this assessment. B’Tselem has recently published a report titled “Our Genocide” on the situation in Gaza.

The film is in Arabic and English with subtitles in English. Participation is free, but prior registration is required.