Co-Presented By<a href="https://www.tasteofthemiddleeast.ca/" target="_blank"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/6184802b30d81f5b4d5096b00bdbef63.jpg" width="135"></a> <a href="https://www.trinitysquarevideo.com/" target="_blank"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/d1c473e26b3cb91e7079d71e27cd8bdd.jpg" width="138"></a>

a tangled web drowning in honey is an experiential and textural short film that invites viewers into the inner workings of a mind to ponder the ways in which we love and unlove ourselves.

a tangled web drowning in honey

Unsure of his place as a second generation Palestinian born and raisedin Amman, Jordan, Abood's dissociation&nbsp;with his birth–country preventshim from interacting with it and the people within it. But when hisuncle visits from Canada, telling stories of his past as a survivor ofthe Naksa (the second expulsion of Palestinians in 1967) and his youthgrowing up in the Baq'a&nbsp;Refugee Camp at the base of Amman, Abood beginsto listen more closely to the people around him as they speak abouttheir hope, the spiritual, and the mundane.Soon after, findinghimself lost in the streets of Amman — and never having bothered tounderstand the city he was born in — Abood must rely on a young femalestranger to guide him home. As she leads him through Amman, she sharesher perspective on the country, the people, and her identity as aJordanian–Palestinian. The stories from Abood's uncle remain in hismind, and come to ahead as the young stranger eventually leads Abood to along–deserted Palestinian home, leaving him with a new understanding ofJordan, as well as his identity as a Palestinian.

Baq'a The Open Valley

We would be freer is a short film reflecting on the relationship between native plants and colonized peoples. Through story and knowledge sharing, the film takes a close look at the sumac plant as a medicine, a powdered spice, a dye, and more. Known for its zesty taste and bright colour, different varieties of sumac are found around the world. In particular, staghorn sumac is native to parts of Turtle Island and tanner’s sumac to the eastern Mediterranean. Weaving between the voices of two women, one from the Mohawk community of Kahnawá:ke and the other an internally displaced refugee in Ramallah, we would be freer invites you to contemplate the role of the sumac plant in two occupied lands that lie far apart. Mimicking the progression of the plant’s flowers from yellow to green to red, the short film is a cyclical reflection on connection to land, sustainability, and wild plants.

English

we would be freer

In this film, memories are brought to life through evocative vignettes. The protagonist's fleeting feelings of anxiety are expressed on his numbing phone, his excessive tobacco use, or deep in his thoughts. These moments set the stage for a deeper exploration of the protagonist's lost love. This short provides a window into the mental landscape that many of us experience and is a gentle reminder to continue the search for genuine love. Sometimes a single frame is all we need to understand someone's thoughts and emotions.

I Feel Uncomfortable on the Balcony

Listed shares the story of Faizal Karim, a Canadian man falsely flagged on the Canadian No Fly List. Through Faizal’s personal account of racial profiling and detainment due to being falsely flagged on the terrorist watch list, the film exposes the systemic issues underlying the No Fly List and its impact on marginalized communities.

Listed

A hiring committee is interviewing different Arab women for the position of Regional Content Strategist at a Canadian advertising company expanding to the Middle Eastern market. As we meet each of these candidates, we realize they are not the only ones being scrutinized.

Toronto Palestine Film Festival

TPFF Home Grown Shorts