Photos: Gaza open-air cinema a breath of fresh air for Palestinians

Gazans have flocked to the seaside in recent weeks to escape soaring temperatures

Published: August 03, 2023 17:58 AFP

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Gaza residents took their seats in front of a large projector screen set up on a sandy beach. Over two weeks in summer, the "Cinema of the Sea" festival which ended Monday screened some 15 films, many of them with Palestinian actors or producers. Image Credit: AFP

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Providing a respite from the heat, the waterfront "is the only outlet for the residents", said Ali Muhanna, a theatre director involved in the initiative. Image Credit: AFP

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Sitting barefoot in a pink dress at the open-air cinema on Gaza City's beach, seven-year-old Salma Shamaleh was transfixed by the screen. Image Credit: AFP

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"I have never seen a TV this size," she told AFP as she watched "Ferdinand", an animated blockbuster that tells the story of a giant but soft-hearted black bull. Image Credit: AFP

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The first film screenings in Gaza date to the 1940s, with the opening of the Samer Cinema, whose building now houses a car dealership. Image Credit: AFP

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Like across much of the eastern Mediterranean, Gazans have flocked to the seaside in recent weeks to escape soaring temperatures. Shamaleh was thrilled by the cinematic experience. "Our house is nearby, I'll ask my mum for us to come every day," she said. Image Credit: AFP

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