Fierté Nationale: De Jéricho vers Gaza

Belgian artist and filmmaker Sven Augustijnen works across film, installations, and publications to explore historical and political themes that challenge the conventions of the documentary genre. Awarded at the latest edition of Visions du Réel, the film follows Hassan Al Balawi, a Palestinian diplomat based in Brussels, as he returns home for the 15th anniversary of the death of Yasser Arafat, the historic leader of the PLO. Shot in 2019, Balawi’s journey from the occupied West Bank to the Hamas-controlled border of the Gaza Strip unfolds as a highly subjective account, with the camera capturing intense encounters, including those with Arafat’s children and the daughter of Moshe Dayan. The film documents the state of the Palestinian liberation struggle, delving into the stalemates of the peace process and the internal divisions within the PLO, foreshadowing the events of October 7 2023.