Montreal Cultural Calendar

[EN] As part of their ongoing programming of Palestine solidarity events, the Art History Decolonial Action Group (AHDAG), the Feminist Media Studio, Regards Palestiniens, and the Doc-Inter PhD Program, are collaborating to host a free screening of Inas Halabi's feature film We No Longer Prefer Mountains (2023). The screening will be followed by a discussion with artist and filmmaker Inas Halabi, who will join us on Zoom, moderated by Claire Begbie and Varda Nisar. Join us at Concordia on 30 April for a rare opportunity to watch this film, hear Inas Halabi present her work, and reflect collectively on the intersections of landscape, environment, systems of power and control, and the construction of national identities and narratives.

[FR] Dans le cadre de leur programmation régulière d'événements en solidarité avec la Palestine, AHDAG, le Feminist Media Studio, Regards Palestiniens, et le programme de doctorat Doc-Inter, collaborent pour organiser une projection gratuit du long métrage d'Inas Halabi We No Longer Prefer Mountains (2023). La projection sera suivie d'une discussion en ligne avec l’artiste et réalisatrice Inas Halabi, animée par Claire Begbie et Varda Nisar. Retrouvez-nous à Concordia le 30 avril pour une rare opportunité de voir ce film, entendre Inas Halabi présenter son travail, et réfléchir collectivement aux intersections du paysage, de l'environnement, des systèmes de pouvoir et de contrôle, et de la construction des identités et récits nationaux.

WE NO LONGER PREFER MOUNTAINS (2023) takes place in the Druze town of Dalyet el Carmel, in northern Palestine, pulling the viewer into a surreal world of geographic isolation, shrouded mysticism and a locale shaped by co-optation, coercion, and control. Weaving together intimate engagements with members of the community, in shared domestic spaces and outdoor environments, the film sets out to explore how the inner politics of the Druze have been controlled and reshaped as a result of the establishment of Israel in 1948. The film is informed by the landscape theory (fûkeiron), a Japanese Avant Garde film movement in the 60s whereby the filmmakers posited that filming the everyday surroundings reveal the oppressive and repressively isolating landscapes and the powers at play.

Inas Halabi (b.1988, Palestine) is an Artist/Filmmaker. Her practice is concerned with how social and political forms of power are manifested and the impact that overlooked or suppressed histories have on contemporary life. Recent exhibitions and screenings include Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival (2023), de Appel Amsterdam (2023), Showroom London (2022), Europalia Festival, Brussels (2021), Silent Green Betonhalle, Berlin (2021); Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam (2020); and Film at Lincoln Center, USA (2020). She lives and works between Palestine and the Netherlands.

Claire Begbie is a member of Regards Palestiniens and a PhD student in Film and Moving Image Studies at Concordia University. Her research looks at the history of Palestine in Arab and transnational cinema.

Varda Nisar is a member of AHDAG, a mother, a daughter, and a sister. She is also a PhD candidate in Art History at Concordia. Her work diverges in several directions, including art education and community outreach, research, and writing.