Annie Sakkab’s THE POEM WE SANG to world premiere at Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival

Annie Sakkab’s short documentary THE POEM WE SANG will hold its world premiere at the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, which will take place in the Canadian city of Toronto from April 25th to May 5th.

The film follows a Palestinian director as she ruminates on the generational trauma caused by the loss of a family home and forced migration, transforming lifelong regrets into a healing journey of creative catharsis and bearing witness.

The film centers around Khalil Al-Sakakin’s “WE ARE A PROUD NATION”, a poem that the poet and teacher sang to his students at An-Nahda College in Jerusalem prior to Al Nakba and occupation.

“WE ARE A PROUD NATION” was memorized by the older generation of Palestinians from Al-Sakakini, who, in addition to the poem honored in the film, wrote the Anthem of the Arab Revolution.

This poem and song are not only a historical testimony but are also a tribute to the pioneering role played by the Palestinians before the Nakba. Khalil Al-Sakakini was the founder of the Arabic curriculum in the Arab world, and perhaps remembering his genius in the poem sung in the film is some overdue tribute.

THE POEM WE SANG has received several development, production, and post-production grants from the Toronto Palestine Film Festival and Trinity Square Video, A. M. Qattan Foundation, National Film Board of Canada, Canada Council for the Arts, and Toronto Arts Council.

The film — a joint production between Canada, Palestine, and Jordan — was produced by B707 Productions Inc. by Annie Sakkab and Paul Lee, who also co-wrote the film together.

Sakkab also directed, lensed, edited, and narrated the film, while Celina and Hanna Sakkab starred in it. MAD Solutions handles the film’s Arab World distribution while the National Film Board of Canada handles its distribution in Canada.

A Palestinian-Jordanian-Canadian, Annie Sakkab is an independent filmmaker and photojournalist.

She seeks long-form narrative films with a focus on women’s issues, identity, and social justice.

Her first short documentary HOLLIE’S DRESS — which went to 48 festivals and won 15 awards — held its world premiere at the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival in 2020 and was created in collaboration with The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

Her photographic work has been published in the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, New York Times, Globe and Mail, Walrus Magazine, Washington Post, Bloomberg News, NBC News, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Annie is also a member of the Boreal Collective and Women Photograph and is represented by Middle East Images