GAZA.MP4

is a meditation on the mundanity of hope in the aftermath of the war on Gaza
post-7th October 2023. The video portrays scenes of daily life in Gaza through the lens of a
disrupted communication between two friends, Diaa and Mohannad. Diaa requests filmmaker
Mohannad to use his phone to capture raw visual materials during his displacement journey
from Gaza, Khan Yunis, and Rafah since October. Mohammad’s compliance cements a bond
forged during their student days and addresses the phenomenon of data clouding and
transferring through alternative channels like Telegram. Using the chat window as a visual
element to evoke a sense of our modern anxiety and the relentless pace induced by ADHD, the
footage is received and processed by Diaa.
"GAZA.MP4" presents footage from Gaza, Mohannad's artworks, his graduation film, and the
Telegram chats between him and Diaa. The footage recorded by Mohannad since November
2023 is compiled and assembled in a way that presents a certain progression; from crowded
makeshift street markets to vast spaces of a scorched city reduced to rubble. From
claustrophobia to desolation. The video addresses the cognitive and psychological impact of
witnessing war crimes through screens and social media, while maintaining a personal
connection to someone experiencing it firsthand through Mohannad’s shaky handheld footage
and voiceover. In addition to underscoring the contradictions between the virtual and physical
worlds, the assemblage of image and sound offers a commentary on modern conflict and
communication.
Festival Film Bahari-Sea and Coastal Film Festival, Jawa Barat, Indonesia 2024
Lift-Off Filmmaker Festival, audience award, London, UK 2024
Dissolutions film festival, Dublin, Ireland 2024