Film Screening: Naila & the Uprising

Wafa Ghnaim is a Palestinian dress historian, embroiderer, researcher, educator, and the museum’s Curator. Drawing from the museum’s permanent collection, she will present a selection of Palestinian dresses that illustrate the historical and cultural significance of textile traditions in the diaspora and their path to the Museum of the Palestinian People. In recognition of International Women’s Day, Wafa will also examine the role of Palestinian women as cultural stewards, analyzing how dressmaking and tatreez (Palestinian embroidery) function as acts of resistance against cultural erasure. Through this lens, she will explore how embroidery preserves collective memory, asserts self-determination, and sustains Palestinian heritage in the face of ongoing dispossession.

Join us for a powerful and deeply moving screening of From Ground Zero, an Oscar-shortlisted film capturing the lives of Palestinians in Gaza over the past year. Initiated by Palestinian director Rashid Masharawi, this extraordinary collection of short films brings together the voices of twenty-two Palestinian filmmakers living through war, revealing intimate and untold stories beyond the headlines. Through moments of both joy and pain, From Ground Zero offers a rare and unfiltered perspective on the resilience of our people persevering through wartime. The film’s cumulative emotional impact is unforgettable, making this a screening you won’t want to miss. If you haven’t yet had the chance to experience this remarkable film, now is the time. Join us as we bear witness to these powerful stories and honor the resiliency of our filmmakers.

Join us for a powerful and deeply moving screening of From Ground Zero, an Oscar-shortlisted film capturing the lives of Palestinians in Gaza over the past year. Initiated by Palestinian director Rashid Masharawi, this extraordinary collection of short films brings together the voices of twenty-two Palestinian filmmakers living through war, revealing intimate and untold stories beyond the headlines. Through moments of both joy and pain, From Ground Zero offers a rare and unfiltered perspective on the resilience of our people persevering through wartime. The film’s cumulative emotional impact is unforgettable, making this a screening you won’t want to miss. If you haven’t yet had the chance to experience this remarkable film, now is the time. Join us as we bear witness to these powerful stories and honor the resiliency of our filmmakers.

📅 Date: Friday, April 11, 2025 ⏰ Time: 6:00 PM 📍 Location: Museum of the Palestinian People, Washington, DC 💰 Contribution: Pay-What-You-Can ($25–$35) Gaza Remains the Story” is an exhibition that centers Gaza’s cultural heritage, resilience, and lived reality amid genocide, war, and erasure. Featuring historical archives, contemporary artworks, and community-centered scholarship, the exhibition bears witness to the devastation unfolding in Gaza while honoring the enduring creativity of its people. Based on the Palestinian Museum’s original exhibition, this version is adapted by the curator Wafa Ghnaim, with new research and urgent questions about cultural preservation, exile, and memory. It invites audiences to consider their role in sustaining Palestinian identity, both through the digital archive and the intimate, indigenous act of storytelling. “Gaza Remains the Story” is on view April 11 to November 2, 2025 at the Museum of the Palestinian People. Learn more about this adaptation for the Museum of the Palestinian People at www.tatreezandtea.com/gaza

"Vanished: The Mysterious Disappearance of Mustafa Ouda" is a mystery novel that takes place in the heart of the now destroyed Jabaliya Camp, through the eyes of an eight-year old boy, Omar. Through Omar, author Ahmed Masoud takes the reader through the alleyways of the camp, the terrors induced by Israeli soldiers, and the temporality of life, in search of his missing father. Masoud grew up in Jabaliya Refugee Camp. His paternal family were originally from the village of Deir Sneid, and his grandfather had owned a stone house and farms in Jerusalem prior to the Nakba. With an interest in western music and writers like Charles Dickens, Masoud learned English at a young age and went on to study English literature at Al-Azhar University. In 2002, at the age of 20, he moved to London. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) and a Master of Arts (MA) in English literature from London Metropolitan University and went on to complete his PhD in comparative literature at Goldsmiths, University of London. In 2014, Masoud wrote the play Walaa: Loyalty about the Syrian refugee crisis although his first play in 2008, Go to Gaza, Drink the Sea, was about his home. His third play, The Shroud Maker, a satirical play about the titular woman named Hajja Souad, went on a tour of the UK with with Amnesty International. Masoud's debut novel Vanished: The Mysterious Disappearance of Mustafa Ouda was published via Rimal Books. The novel was shortlisted for a 2015 Palestine Book Award by Middle East Monitor. Masoud has been a lecturer at the University of the Arts London, as well as head of international partnership development at Oxford Brookes University for nine years and, as of 2019, head of Regent's University London's international partnerships office. He joined the University of Plymouth's Displacement Studies Research Network. He was selected to be the writer in residence at the 2019 Bristol Palestine Film Festival. In 2022, he founded the PalArt Collective and Festival initiative and published his second novel Come What May. Helena Cobban is the President of Just World Educational and the Founder and CEO of Just World Books, proud publishers of Vanished. Helena will be our co-host for this virtual conversation. Join us to discuss the book's meaning and impact with the author, Ahmed Masoud, as he shares his novel, navigating life under occupation, and his lived experience of growing up in Jabaliya.

Join us at the Museum of the Palestinian People for a special screening of No Other Land, the 2025 Oscar-winning documentary that follows Basel Adra, a young Palestinian activist documenting the destruction of his homeland in Masafer Yatta while resisting the forced displacement of his people.

Join us at the Museum of the Palestinian People for a special screening of No Other Land, the 2025 Oscar-winning documentary that follows Basel Adra, a young Palestinian activist documenting the destruction of his homeland in Masafer Yatta while resisting the forced displacement of his people.

Living with Drones is a groundbreaking live journalism production that weaves together wartime diaries, personal testimonials from Gaza, multimedia elements, and live performance to explore the devastating impact of drone warfare on civilians. Premiering in London and later performed to sold-out audiences in Toronto, the show uses diary-style storytelling and immersive soundscapes to illuminate the trauma, resilience, and humanity of those living under constant surveillance and threat. Created by the stitched! live journalism studio, the production challenges traditional journalistic norms by centering non-dominant voices and fostering critical community dialogue on war, technology, and accountability. Pay What You Can Ticket Scale: $25-$35

Living with Drones is a groundbreaking live journalism production that weaves together wartime diaries, personal testimonials from Gaza, multimedia elements, and live performance to explore the devastating impact of drone warfare on civilians. Premiering in London and later performed to sold-out audiences in Toronto, the show uses diary-style storytelling and immersive soundscapes to illuminate the trauma, resilience, and humanity of those living under constant surveillance and threat. Created by the stitched! live journalism studio, the production challenges traditional journalistic norms by centering non-dominant voices and fostering critical community dialogue on war, technology, and accountability. Pay What You Can Ticket Scale: $25-$35

Join Curator Wafa Ghnaim for a guided tour of Gaza Remains the Story, offering deeper insights into the exhibition’s works and themes. This tour will explore how Palestinian cultural heritage—especially from Gaza—continues to survive and adapt through art, collective memory, and diasporic storytelling.

Yalla! Storytime (يلا ستوريتايم), led by Curator Wafa Ghnaim at the Museum of the Palestinian People, is a monthly storytelling program designed for children ages 4 and up. Each session features a thoughtfully selected book that illuminates Palestinian history, culture, and traditions, offering young readers a window into the richness of Palestinian heritage. Through the power of storytelling, children will engage with narratives that foster imagination, cultural appreciation, and a deepened connection to identity and belonging. As part of Gaza Remains the Story, Yalla! Storytime invites young audiences to explore the cultural heritage of Gaza through story and art. Curator Wafa Ghnaim will lead a special reading of “A Map for Falasteen: A Palestinian Child's Search for Home” by Maysa Odeh, inspecting maps in the museum space and learning geography. The session will conclude with creative expression through coloring sheets in TATREEZ BEAUTY: A Coloring Book.

Yalla! Storytime (يلا ستوريتايم), led by Curator Wafa Ghnaim at the Museum of the Palestinian People, is a monthly storytelling program designed for children ages 4 and up. Each session features a thoughtfully selected book that illuminates Palestinian history, culture, and traditions, offering young readers a window into the richness of Palestinian heritage. Through the power of storytelling, children will engage with narratives that foster imagination, cultural appreciation, and a deepened connection to identity and belonging. As part of Gaza Remains the Story Yalla! Storytime invites young audiences to explore the cultural heritage of Gaza through story and art. Curator Wafa Ghnaim will lead a special reading of “Sitti's Bird: A Gaza Story” by Malak Mattar, followed by creative activities from TATREEZ BEAUTY: A Coloring Book. 🎟 Pricing: $5 per child | $10 per adult $25 for a family package (2 adults + 2 children) $20 for Tatreez Beauty: A Coloring Book Join us for a fun and enriching experience that fosters imagination, cultural appreciation, and a deepened sense of identity!