In this second event in our Church Street Arab Film Nights series, Academy Award & Palme d’Or nominated writer and director Basil Khalil will present his debut feature A Gaza Weekend (2022) premiered at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival, winning the FIPRESCI prize. His earlier work – Ave Maria (2015) – which premiered in the official selection at the Cannes Film Festival and was later nominated for an Oscar, will also be screened.

Followed by a conversation with Basil Khalil about the role of comedy in Palestinian filmmaking and storytelling at a time of cultural erasure. Moderated by Sarah Agha.

Ave Maria (2015)
Written by Daniel Ka-Chun Chan and Basil Khalil. Directed by Basil Khalil. 15 min
The silent routine of five nuns living in the West Bank wilderness is disturbed when an Israeli settler family breaks down right outside the convent just as the Sabbath comes into effect.

A Gaza Weekend (2022)
Written by Daniel Ka-Chun Chan and Basil Khalil. Directed by Basil Khalil. 90 min
A British journalist tries to escape Israel after the UN imposes an embargo from land, air and sea due to the spreading of a virus. Gaza becomes the safest place in the region.

About the programme
Church Street Arab Film Nights is curated by The Arab Film Club and Ifriqiya Cinema, in dialogue with Mandy El Sayegh’s Mural: This is a Sign: Notes on Assembly. Spanning four events in the Church Street neighbourhood, the programme brings together films by Arab artists and filmmakers working across geographies and diasporas. The series invites audiences to engage with questions of representation, displacement, political witnessing, and the politics of visibility through shared viewing and discussion.

About The Arab Film Club
The Arab Film Club is a London-based, community-led platform that curates and screens contemporary and classic cinema from across the Arab world and its diaspora. Founded by actress and curator Sarah Agha, the club brings together audiences, artists, and filmmakers to explore Arab cinema as a space for shared reflection, cultural memory, and political storytelling. They curate and run screenings, Q&As, and public events, hosted across major cultural venues in the UK.