Amidst the Rubble, Flickers of Hope: Makeshift Cinemas Offer Escape for Gaza’s Children
Volunteer-led film screenings in displacement camps provide rare moments of joy and normalcy for a generation scarred by war.
In the heart of Gaza City’s sprawling displacement camps, where the landscape is defined by tents and rubble, an unexpected scene emerges: children gathered intently before a makeshift screen, their faces illuminated by the glow of a movie. This local cinema initiative is offering a vital, if temporary, refuge from the trauma of ongoing conflict.
For many of these young attendees, it is their first chance to watch a film since the war began over two years ago. The screenings represent more than mere entertainment; they are a lifeline to normalcy and a buffer against profound loss.
“We’re here trying to present activities for children to create a positive vibe,” said Minass al-Jabour, the initiative’s media coordinator. “We are trying to help them move past the hard scenes they lived through during the war.”
The need for such respite is staggering. According to Gaza’s health authorities, Israeli attacks have killed tens of thousands of children and left countless more injured or orphaned. With the vast majority of schools damaged or destroyed, formal education has been inaccessible, making spaces for play and imagination critically important.
“This is something new for me. I came out of the war, and they are giving us many activities, including cinema… and we really enjoyed it,” said Sara Abu Sharbi, a displaced girl, speaking against a backdrop of temporary shelters.
Palestinian filmmaker Mustafa al-Nabih, who is participating in the project, believes art possesses a unique healing power. “A child who has seen so much blood and loss can, through cinema, glimpse a better reality,” he told Fikrokhabar.
“Cinema transports a child into a world of imagination, love, and beauty. It shows them colours, stories, and moments that take them out of the ruin around them.”
The open-air cinema, run by volunteers, has quickly become a cherished community event. It underscores the resilience of Gazans who, amid cease-fire violations and immense hardship, continue to carve out spaces for joy, solidarity, and the preservation of childhood.
Source: Al Jazeera
