Open Secret: The Third Edition continues as a series composed of screenings, conversations, and workshops kicking off this autumn season with Kamal Aljafari’s  A Fidai Film (2024), with opening remarks by Dr Nasrin Himada, Associate Curator of Academic Outreach and Community Engagement; and Fan Wu, Queen’s doctoral candidate in Screen Cultures and Curatorial Studies.

A Fidai Film, Palestine, Germany, Qatar, Brasil, France  ·  2024  ·  DCP 2K  ·  Color/B&W  ·  78′  ·  o.v. Arabic, English, Hebrew · Sub Eng

In the summer of 1982, the Israeli army invaded Beirut. During this time, it raided the Palestinian Research Center and looted its entire archive. The archive contained historical documents of Palestine, including a collection of still and moving images. Taking this as a premise, ‘A Fidai Film‘ aims to create a counter-narrative to this loss, presenting a form of cinematic sabotage that seeks to reclaim and restore the looted memories of Palestinian history. It’s a poignant exploration of identity, memory, and resistance, told through a unique blend of documentary and experimental filmmaking techniques.