Reclaiming the Frame: Palestinian Children in Global Cinema
Tuesday 14 April, 12:00-13:00, Scandic Hotel, 3rd floor, Learning 1Too often, Palestinian children appear in global media primarily as symbols of victimhood. Yet they also carry voices, memories, humor, imagination, and creativity. Cinema can offer a powerful space to move beyond documentation and toward empowerment, allowing new narratives of Palestinian childhood to emerge.
The conversation will discuss the role of cinema in amplifying the voices and stories of Palestinian children within the global film landscape, and reflects on how filmmakers and actors can contribute to bringing these voices forward and navigate the responsibility of representing children within political realities, while also creating space for stories of life beyond the frame of violence.
Yousry Nasrallah
Yousry Nasrallah is an Egyptian filmmaker. He graduated in economics and political science at Cairo University. Following, he worked as a film critic and directors’ assistant in Beirut from 1978 to 1982. He became an assistant to Youssef Chahine whose company Misr International would go on to produce his films. Nasrallah’s works have dealt with themes of differences and expatriation.
Nasrallah made his feature debut with Summer Thefts (1988), followed by Mercedes (1993) and the documentary Sobyan wa Banat (1995). He continued to establish his voice with films such as El Medina (1999), Bab el Shams (2004), The Aquarium (2008), and Scheherazade, Tell Me a Story (2009).
In 2011, he participated in the collective project 18 Days. His film After the Battle (2012) competed for the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival the same year. He later directed Brooks, Meadows and Lovely Faces (2016) and the television series Welcome Home (2022), produced by Shahid.
Ola Salama
Ola Salama is the Executive Director of Filmlab Palestine, a cultural institution dedicated to empowering Palestinian filmmakers and fostering a vibrant cinema culture. Born in Gaza and holding a Master’s degree in Economics.
Guided by a belief in cinema as a tool of cultural resistance and collective memory, she has expanded the Filmlab’s impact through international partnerships, industry labs, and screenings that reach even displaced and war-affected communities, while amplifying Palestinian narratives on the global stage.
Maria Zreik
Maria Zreik is a Palestinian actress who most recently starred in All That’s Left of You (2025), shortlisted for the Academy Awards, and Chronicles From The Siege that won the Pespectives Award at the Berlinale 2026.
Zreik gained early recognition with her breakthrough role in Villa Touma (2014), which premiered at the Venice International Film Festival which gained her the Best Actress award at the Mediterranean Experiences Festival. Her role in the Oscar and Palme d’Or nominated short film Ave Maria, directed by Basil Khalil, further established her as a rising talent to watch.
Zreik continued to build a diverse body of work by prominent directors, including Wajib (2018), followed by Give Up the Ghost (2019), Laila in Haifa (2020) & Coyotes (2025) – the latter three of which were presented at the Venice Film Festival.
Moderator: Film Critic Schayan Riaz
Schayan Riaz is a freelance journalist from Berlin. His work has appeared in various international publications such as the Berliner Zeitung, Qantara, i-D Germany, VICE, The Express Tribune, Dawn Pakistan, and others. Currently he is working as Managing Editor of the online magazine the Diasporist. In his articles, reviews, and interviews, he mainly focuses on film. He has been a FIPRESCI member since 2018 and served on festival juries in Berlin, Mannheim-Heidelberg, Amman, Cairo and Rabat.