1. Occupied Palestinian Territories > Audiovisual and Media / Gender
Breaking the wall
of silence
n The Masarat project included not only the produc-
tion of four films but also 58 screenings, like this one
in Beit Fajjar village
www.enpi-info.eu
Women in the occupied Palestinian
territories have long lived in the shadow of
their male relatives, often suffering untold abuse. Now,
an EU-funded film project, ‘Masarat’, has given them a voice,
shattering taboos in the most dramatic way.
Text by Elias Zananiri
Photos by Elias Zananiri, Masarat
East Jerusalem - When local Tulkarem TV station Al Fajr Al Jadid showed Golden
Pomegranate Seeds, a short film made by Ghada Terawi under an EU-funded proj-
ect to promote Palestinian women film directors, the impact was immediate.
Just minutes into the film, furious viewers began to call in protesting that “the film
had crossed red lines” says the channel’s Raja Nafee. “I told my staff not to respond
but simply to ask the viewers to wait until the end and then talk.” By the time the
film was over, 15 minutes later, the mood had changed. “People were encouraged
and many demanded that similar films be made in the future.”
“I think we broke the wall of silence.”
Golden Pomegranate Seeds juxtaposes the folk-tale of a girl whose silence in the
This publication does face of what she saw would always haunt her, with real stories of real women, who
not represent the dare to speak out about the sexual abuse they have suffered in the family. The
official view of the EC
message from the women is stark: “If you’re silent once, you’ll stay silent forever.”
or the EU institutions.
The EC accepts no A taboo had been shattered, said Nafee: a few days later, a police
responsibility or officer called to tell her that in less than 24 hours, 14 cases of ENPI Info Centre – Feature no. 13
liability whatsoever This is a series of features on
sexual abuse by relatives had been reported by girls to the local
with regard to its projects funded by the EU’s
police station. Regional Programme, prepared by
content.
journalists and photographers on
Snowball effect the ground or the ENPI Info
Centre. ENPI Info Centre/EU 2010©
What happened in Tulkarem was repeated all over the occupied

2. Breaking the wall of silence p.2
ENPI Info Centre - Feature no. 13
Palestinian territories, where the film was shown at community centres and on local “People were
channels. Farha Abu Alheija of Farah TV in Jenin said people called her afterwards asking encouraged
that such cases be addressed more in the future. And secondary schools have taken up and many
the challenge, asking to show the film to their students, while the United Nations Relief demanded
and Work Agency (UNRWA) and the Palestinian Ministry of Health have asked to use it that similar
in their gender outreach and counselling programmes. films be
Golden Pomegranate Seeds was one of four films made by Palestinian women under made in the
the ‘Masarat’ project, fully funded under the EU’s Regional Information and Communi- future. I think
cations programme with €120,000. The project has been a spectacular success for we broke the
Shashat, a Palestinian cinema NGO with emphasis on capacity building for Palestinian wall of
filmmakers, mostly women. silence.”
Not all films touch such a raw nerve, but they do thrust women to the fore, in a deeply
conservative, patriarchal society.
In Far from Loneliness, Sawsan Qaoud draws on the inspiration of an accidental meeting
to follow three old farming women on the tough pre-dawn journey from their fields to
n Dr. Alia Arasoughly the market. Mahasen Nasser-Eldin tells the story of Samia, a feisty, active and committed
the director general of Shashat and
Masarat project director
71-year-old woman, whose struggle to remain in Jerusalem and to promote girl’s educa-
tion marks her personal and professional life. The fourth film, Dima Abu Ghoush’s First
Love, tells the story of tender love blooming in the lives of young girls, who speak of the
importance of their parents’ role in dealing with their emotions and dilemmas.
Dr. Alia Arasoughly, the director general of Shashat and Masarat project director, says
women should be given the chance not only to consume, but also to create culture. Cul-
ture, she explains, goes far beyond knowledge, entering deep into emotions and feel-
ings. Women, therefore, can and must play a major role in cultural outreach.
The EU funding for Masarat included not only the production of four films but also 58
screenings, 25 showings in community and cultural centres in the West Bank and Gaza
Strip, and some 168 local community TV broadcasts, followed by live talk shows.
Following every showing, feedback forms were distributed to the audience. Out of 7,790
responses, 7,285 were positive (2,139 said the showings were excellent, 2,934 very good
n The poster of the Masarat and 2,212 good). With such a result, Shashat feels Masarat is important enough to pro-
film project
duce every year.
Reaching out to a wide audience
“From the outset,” said Arasoughly, “I thought the festival should not be directed exclu-
“From the outset, I sively to the elite intelligentsia of society nor concentrate its activities in the centre of the
thought the festival West Bank, but reach the largest audience possible.” She wanted a wide platform, through
should not be di- screenings in multiple and socially diverse locations, accompanied by discussions.
rected exclusively For the EU, the project has “exceeded all expectations in touching people's hearts and
n A scene from Golden
to the elite intelli- prompting debates on difficult, even taboo subjects,” says Alix de Mauny, who as Press Pomegranate Seeds
gentsia… but reach and Information Manager at the Euro-
the largest audi- pean Commission Technical Assistance
ence possible.” Office for the West Bank and Gaza Strip
was closely involved with Masarat. “Be-
cause the local women film directors
themselves came up with the subjects
and decided how to approach them,
they were able to tap into the real issues
facing Palestinian women, and found a
way to ask searching questions without
ever preaching to their audience.”

3. Breaking the wall of silence p.3
ENPI Info Centre - Feature no. 13
“The films have Masarat has given women a voice: “It exploded in us what we do not say, and gave us n Ghada Terawi on the set
of Golden Pomegranate
helped to open up a the confidence to think that there are options!” one Bethlehem woman said after a Seeds
debate on the role of screening of Golden Pomegranate Seeds.
women – and we “These things should be talked about.”
have much to learn Indeed, De Mauny is struck how many of the is-
from how they sues raised find echoes in other parts of the
managed to raise world, including Europe. “The films have helped
such difficult issues to open up a debate on the role of women –
so positively and and we have much to learn from how they
constructively.” managed to raise such difficult issues so posi-
tively and constructively.”
Regional Information & Communication Programme
Aims at boosting public awareness and understanding of the EU and its relations in the ENPI area,
through support to journalists and media outlets for material production, as well as training
Participating countries Objective
Armenia, Azerbaijan, The Programme seeks to increase public knowledge and awareness of the EU and its relationship with
Belarus, Georgia, the Neighbourhood countries and create a local sense of involvement and shared ownership. It clarifies
Moldova, Russia, policies but also highlights the development aid implemented by the EU in the region It facilitates
Ukraine (East) Algeria, cooperation between journalists and media organizations, helps build sustainable communication
Egypt, Israel, Jordan, networks and assists the continued development of free opinion and freedom of expression in a bid to
Lebanon, Morocco, contribute to the creation of an environment conducive to dialogue and mutual understanding.
Occupied Palestinian
Territory, Syria, Tunisia Find out more
(South) Shashat website - http://www.shashat.org/
Regional Information & Communication Programme fiche -
Timeframe http://www.enpi-info.eu/mainmed.php?id=247&id_type=10
2008-2011 European Commission Technical Assistance Office for the West Bank and Gaza Strip -
http://www.delwbg.ec.europa.eu/
Budget
€19 million (€12
million ENPI South, €7
million ENPI East)
The ENPI Info Centre is an EU-funded Regional
Information and Communication project
highlighting the partnership between the EU and
Neighbouring countries. The project is managed
ENPI info centre
info ce t e
by Action Global Communications.
w ww.enpi-info.eu
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