Experiencing Interruptions?

Palestine (Co)Exists

While attending a tourism conference in the Middle East, a travel agent chronicles her journey via Facebook live. Her broadcasts feature hiking and cycling as well as interviews with colleagues in adventure tourism. From Palestine, she shares a humanist perspective that embraces a culture of diversity and religious tolerance. In response to this positive portrayal of tourism to Palestine, Facebook removes the videos and she's blocked from social media. Challenging censorship, this film begs the question: why would the mere existence of Palestinians be considered controversial and how does this impact sustainable tourism to Palestine?

  • Katherine Vallera
    Producer
  • George S. Rishmawi
    Key Cast
    "Self"
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short
  • Runtime:
    5 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    July 30, 2018
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    Palestine, State of
  • Language:
    English
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography

Preeminently published by TravelPulse and The Seattle Times, Katherine Vallera is an award winning travel agent and freelance journalist based in Los Angeles. As a dual US/EU citizen, she's visited 50+ countries to promote adventure travel as a transformative experience. Affiliated with the Travel Connection Group, part of Travel leaders, Vallera is a member of the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) and on the board of directors for the World Tourism Journalism Organization. In 2015, she received the honor of being named one of the "30 Under 30" in travel. As an advocate for sustainable tourism, Vallera hopes to encourage others to think more critically by exploring new cultures, ideas and perspectives.

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Director Statement

Changing the narrative about Palestine through sustainable tourism: the story Facebook doesn't want you to see!