SWANA Art Collective Calls on Philadelphia Film-Goers To Urge Legislators to Demand Ceasefire in Gaza
Yaqeen Yamani
Since October 7, Israel has killed approximately 22,835 Palestinians and wounded 58,416 others, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza. In the face of the ongoing genocide, one Philadelphia art collective has devised a unique approach to generating support for Palestine. Batikh Batikh has organized a Palestinian film series, but rather than having attendees purchase tickets, they’re asking them to show proof that they've contacted their elected officials to demand a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
Fateema Al-Hamaydeh Miller's short film Eitr (2022) is one of several short films slated to screen at Making Worlds Bookstore on January 14.
“Gazans are asking us to do something other than fundraising. So, we really wanted to have a ticketing system that would be based on direct action,” said Batikh Batikh’s founder and executive director, Sarah Trad, in an interview with Al-Bustan. Trad added that she noticed that after three months of taking to the streets in support of Palestine, fewer people in her circle were continuing to speak out for Gaza.
Prior to the screening, attendees must upload proof that they’ve contacted their representatives. Alternatively, Batikh Batikh notes, it will also have pre-addressed postcards available at the door for attendees to fill out to their local representatives.
The three-part film series, “Gathered in Love and Rage,” showcases work by Palestinian filmmakers who identify as women and/or LGBTQ. The first two installments were held in December. For the third and final installment, slated for January 14th at Making Worlds Bookstore in West Philadelphia, Batikh Batikh plans to screen several short films, including Borekas (2020) by Saleh Saadi and Eitr (2022) by Fateema Al-Hamaydeh Miller.
The series has been hosted by different venues around Philadelphia, and aims to provide a cathartic grieving space for Philadelphia’s SWANA and Palestinian communities, according to Trad. “It was organized in response to a climate of censorship of Palestinian voices since October 7,” she added.
A pop-up cinema and art gallery that centers South West Asian North African (SWANA) women and queer artists based in Philadelphia, Batikh Batikh (Arabic, meaning ‘watermelon, watermelon’) was founded by Trad in 2022.
Members of the Batikh Batikh collective include (from L to R) Kenza Bousseloub, Caitlin KT Abadir-Mullally, Sarah Trad, and Shaina Nasrin. Credit: James Izlar
“At Batikh Batikh, when we say “Free Palestine,” we say “by any means necessary,” Trad said. “So, even though we're showing films about a bunch of corny love stories, we're also showing documentaries about Leila Khaled,” she added, noting that the collective plans to screen Tell Your Tale Little Bird, which features an interview with Khaled and other women resistance fighters.
Batikh Batikh executive director Trad, age 34, is a second-generation American of Lebanese and Syrian descent.
“When I first got to Philadelphia, in my early 20s, I really didn't engage or feel like I could identify with the art scene here,” Trad said in an interview with Al-Bustan. “I felt like the museum system here wasn't really accessible to me.”
Trad was interested in seeing SWANA women and queer artists being championed in contemporary art spaces. “I felt like that was really needed in the city,” she said.
Born in Troy, NY, Trad studied film and art at Syracuse University. “I went into filmmaking because I was aware of how it could be misused,” Trad said. “I've seen how images can be used to inspire empathy, education, and understanding, but can also be weaponized against vulnerable communities including Palestinian, Arab, and SWANA communities.”
Today, Trad runs the collective with three others who were initially brought on as exhibiting artists: West Philadelphia-based Caitlin “KT” Abadir-Mullally, 26, a Coptic/Irish-American artist, South Philadelphia-based Shaina Nasrin, 27, an Iranian-American artist, and Northeast Philadelphia-based Kenza Bousseloub, 25, is an American artist born in Algeria.
For more information about the January 14 screening and details about how to submit proof of direct action, check out Batikh Batikh on Instagram.
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Yaqeen Yamani is a Palestinian photographer based in Philadelphia. She holds a BA in Media Studies from Al-Quds Bard College, and is currently pursuing her MFA in photography at Tyler School of Art and Architecture. She interned at InLiquid Gallery in 2023 and is a member of La La Lil Jidar Collective.