The six-month-old Palestinian uprising or Intifada is the theme of honor at Qatar's First Film Festival.
"This festival was dedicated to the Palestinian people and to the Intifada," said Mohammed Makhluf, organizer of the festival that featured more than 100 documentaries and short films.
The festival, which opened Saturday and lasted until Friday, kicked off with a short film entitled "The Challenge," which tells a story about daily life in the Palestinian territories, which Palestinian director Nizar Hassan said has become "nearly impossible."
"For me, this festival is a big event. I hope it will be a way to rehabilitate ourselves as Palestinians," Hassan told AFP.
The festival organizers said in January that a 50,000-dollar prize would be awarded to the top films.
The festival, sponsored by Qatar's Al-Jazeera satellite channel, aims to "encourage young talent in the Arab cinema and to honor established Arab filmmakers," Makhluf said -- AFP
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
