The open-air spectacle was for many viewers the first experience of a screened movie since the last cinema in the impoverished Palestinian enclave closed more than three decades ago.
With car tires, rocks and mounds of sand as seats, Palestinians of all ages enjoyed a rare trip to the cinema during a big screen event on the beach in Gaza.
The outdoor show, with a playlist that included the animated children’s comedy “Ferdinand”, was for many viewers the first experience of a screened movie since they closed the last cinema of the poor enclave more than three decades ago.
Hosted by the “The Sea is Ours” cafe, the screenings were designed to promote cultural and historical themes supported by the conservative Islamist Hamas government.
They left some in the audience wanting more.
“I hope that one day there will be a cinema, so that I can go to the movies and eat popcorn” said Mohammad Zidan, 13, as other children rolled around in the sand laughing at the cartoon.
Cinemas once thrived in Gaza, with Palestinians flocking to see Arab, Western and Asian films, but cinemas cinema were burned during the first Intifada in 1987, then burned again in 1996 during a wave of internal violence.
The last cinema, long abandoned, is now a refuge for bats.
Although the inhabitants of Gaza was able to attend film screenings Performing from time to time in theaters and other places, such a full list of films, shown for several weeks on site, is a rare pleasure.
“We can watch movies on cellphones, but it’s something new and fun said Hadeel Hejji, 15.
Ali Mhana, 35, a playwright and local cafe owner, said he had never been to a normal cinema.
“At sea, you must not look for an audience, the sea has its own . People are here all the time, including children, who feel attracted by sound and image and they come to watch the movies,” Mhana said.
Source: Latercera
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