Palestinian Short Film Screening & Talk with Olhares do Mediterraneo

Palestinian Short Film Screening & Discussion at Good Company Bookstore

Join us for a special evening hosted by Olhares do Mediterrâneo – Women’s Film Festival, featuring the short film The Silent Protest: 1929 Jerusalem (2023) followed by a conversation on Palestine’s past and present.

About the film

Directed by Neta Elkayam, The Silent Protest (20 min) recalls the remarkable story of Palestinian women who, in 1929, organized one of the earliest political demonstrations against British colonial rule and Zionist settler-colonial ambitions in Jerusalem. Drawing on archival material and personal testimonies, the film brings their voices back into the historical record and highlights the power of women’s resistance.

Discussion

Following the screening, we will open the floor for an extended conversation with speakers from the Comité de Solidariedade com a Palestina (BDS Portugal) and academics that specialize in these areas, Dima Mohammed and João Borralho. Together, we will explore how the roots of occupation run deeper than many may realize, and how this history shapes the urgent situation unfolding today.

This event offers a space to learn, reflect, and engage with voices that broaden our understanding of Palestine’s struggle for freedom and justice.

About the Speakers & Supporting Organizations

The Olhares do Mediterrâneo - Women’s Film Festival had its 1st Edition in 2014 and it is the first International Film Festival in Portugal dedicated to give visibility to the presence of women in the international cinematographic arena and to show the work of female filmmakers from Mediterranean countries.

Comité de Solidariedade com a Palestina (BDS Portugal). Building collective power to end genocide and apartheid. BDS is a global, Palestinian-led movement that advocates the simple principle that Palestinians are entitled to the same rights as the rest of humanity.

Dima Mohammed is a senior research fellow at the NOVA Institute of Philosophy, Coordinator of ArgLab, and adjunct professor of communication at NOVA School of Social Sciences and Humanities in Lisbon. An expert in political argumentation, her work examines how public debates and disagreements are managed across contexts ranging from parliamentary debates in Europe to presidential speeches in the US and public discussions during the Arab Spring. She has lectured internationally, including in Portugal, Switzerland, Canada, and Palestine, and is a founding member of the European Conference on Argumentation. She also serves on the boards of several leading associations and journals in the field of argumentation studies.

João Borralho is a researcher at the Centre for International Studies at the University Institute of Lisbon (ISCTE), where he is completing his PhD in International Studies. His current research project explores hunger strikes led by Palestinian political prisoners in administrative detention and local and transnational solidarity. His main areas of interest are Middle Eastern Studies, popular movements, and settler-colonialism. He has published articles such as ‘Coping with Egypt's and Israel's Normalisation Process: Gaza Strip Siege and Hamas Governance’ and ‘Palestinian Hunger Strikers in the Israeli Settler-Colonial and Carceral System: Uniting Inside and Outside Resistance, Local and Transnational Solidarity.’

Tickets & Entry

This is a donation-based event supporting the work of Olhares do Mediterrâneo Festival. Please register a free ticket so we know how many people to expect. Please note that space is limited. Chairs are available on a first-come, first-serve basis, with additional standing and floor seating provided. Registration does not guarantee entry. Once the venue reaches capacity, no further entry will be possible so we suggest arriving early.

The Venue

Good Company Books is an independent English Bookstore in Lisbon. Born from our love of global literature and our Portuguese heritage, we are crafting a space for people of all backgrounds to gather and enjoy the best books, events, coffee, and wine. Find out more on our Instagram.