We open our Planting Seeds strand with Foragers, Jumanna Manna's film depicting the dramas and stories around the practice of foraging for wild edible plants in Palestine, with wry humour and a meditative pace.
Shot in the Golan Heights, the Galilee and Jerusalem, it moves between fiction, documentary and archival footage to portray the impact of Israeli nature protection laws on these customs. The restrictions prohibit the collection of the artichoke-like ’akkoub and za’atar (thyme), and have resulted in fines and trials for hundreds caught collecting these native plants. For Palestinians, these laws constitute an ecological veil for legislation that further alienates them from their land while Israeli state representatives insist on their scientific expertise and duty to protect.
The film will be introduced by filmmaker Zeina Ramadan.
The ticket price includes a cup of Palestinian sage tea, courtesy of Kaf of Palestine.
Screened in collaboration with AWAN, Films of Resistance, and Independent Film Association.
The film is screening as part of our Planting Seeds strand, which explores issues around nature and environmental activism.
