Kinvara exhibition and film put spotlight on Palestine
A new arts festival, PalFest Ireland, is taking place nationwide next week, from July 8-11, in solidarity with the people of Palestine. It marks the first anniversary of the Israeli bombardment of Gaza when over 2,100 people were killed, including more than 500 children.
Kinvara Area Visual Arts is hosting two events as part of PalFest.
The first is a film screening at 7.30pm next Thursday, July 9 in the Courthouse, Kinvara
Abdication is the final part of a three-part documentary series called ‘Palestine’ made in 1979 for Thames TV. It was written and directed by Richard Broad who now lives in Kinvara, and it covers the years of British rule in Palestine through the tragic decades that lead up to the establishment of the state of Israel, and the Palestinian Diaspora in 1948.
The series won an Emmy and was described by the Financial Times as “one of the best and most scrupulous television documentaries ever made on any subject. A superb piece of work”.
Abdication gives an insight into the roots of one of the world’s most intractable political problems and is still crucially relevant, despite being made nearly 40 years ago.
Richard Broad has made over 90 major documentaries on a wide variety of subjects, ranging from histories to films on the environment and social issues.
He came to Ireland in 1982 to make the five-part Thames TV series ‘The Troubles’ on the causes of the Northern Ireland problem and liked the country where he was to meet his future Irish wife. In 1996 he retired to live in Kinvara.
Richard will introduce the film and briefly summarise the first two programmes.
The series’ researcher, Taylor Downing, who went on to become a distinguished film-maker, historian and writer, will also attend.
Both will answer questions after the screening as part of a wider discussion.
The second PalFest event is photography exhibition called Fishermen of Gaza by Algerian photographer Asmaa Seba. It will be open from 6pm next Thursday in the Courthouse, in conjunction with Abdication. It will also be open to the public on Friday 10th 10am to 3pm.
For more, read this week's Connacht Tribune.