Gaza doesn’t have much space for cultural events but this month the city’s port has been transformed into a venue for outdoor screenings.
The Red Carpet Festival showcases films focusing on human rights issues, aims to provide Palestinians with a rare opportunity to explore their dreams, or at least practice a little escapism.
True to its name, the festival’s organizers have laid out a 100-meter long red carpet. But there are no celebrities — it’s for the thousands of ordinary Gazans turning out to watch the films. The festival, which is in its third year, coincides with the Cannes Film Festival and aims to show that there is an alternative to the catwalks and glamour of its French counterpart.
This year for the first time, all of the festival’s entries are being screened simultaneously in Ramallah in the West Bank and in the Israeli city of Haifa.