"Where I came from, folks say
the sun punched holes in itself
so darkness had a place to live
& that is what we call the rest
of the sky.
I never understood that urge
to split oneself open like apple,
unfold skin into a bottomless pool
to be swum through–
but your sweet hands
firecrackling this damp night,
dip them where my body is river
ready for your entering–
I am sky for you,
come inside me"
ISMAIL (2013) (28 minutes) is a Palestinian short film that retells a day in the life of the famous Palestinian painter Ismail Shammout and his younger brother Jamal following Al-Nakba; the mass expulsion and exodus of Palestinians in 1948 that resulted from the systemic zionist colonization and persecution. Ismail is not merely a film about the resilience and hopes of the main figure it features, the painter, but it is rather about the resilience of a whole nation against the oppressions that were brought against them. Ismail Shammout becomes the representation that reflects a spectrum of Palestinian experiences, both personal and collective.
The recreation of the artist’s story was not only done beautifully, but also authentically by maintaining the aesthetics of the artist, his brother, and their uniquely Palestinian environment based on official documents and photographs taken from that period. Accompanying this retelling of these real life experiences, the director beautifully chose to infuse the film with video reincarnations of several of the Shammout’s famous paintings, which they themselves depict the collective experiences and realities of many Palestinians.
Ismail is directed by Palestinian director Nora al Sharif, written by her father Hatem al Sharif, and features Khaled al Ghwairy and Nizar Idress in the roles of Ismail and Jamal Shammout, respectively. The film has been screened around the world, with one being a free online screening for a whole day earlier in June, and has rightfully garnished several international awards. Watch the beautiful trailer above, and remain posted on future screenings updated on the film’s official facebook page.
