Where Olive Trees Weep (2024) is the sixth film in the Voices of Palestine Film Series. In this 84-minute documentary, the directorsWhere Olive Trees Weep offers a searing window into the struggles and resilience of the Palestinian people under Israeli occupation.

It explores themes of loss, trauma, and the quest for justice. We follow, among others, Palestinian journalist and therapist Ashira Darwish, grassroots activist Ahed Tamimi, and Israeli journalist Amira Hass. We witness Dr. Gabor Maté offering trauma-healing work for a group of women who have been tortured in Israeli prisons. Ancient landscapes bear deep scars, having witnessed the brutal reality of ancestral land confiscation, expulsions, imprisonment, home demolitions, water deprivation, and denial of basic human rights. Yet, through the veil of oppression, we catch a glimpse of resilience-deep roots that have carried the Palestinian people through decades of darkness and shattered lives. This emotional journey bares the humanity of the oppressed while grappling with the question: what makes the oppressor so ruthlessly blind to its own cruelty?

The screening will be followed by brief comments from discussants, Dr. Layla Saatchi (Reid Honors College, Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine) and Laila Balboul (RN, Radiation Oncology, Jews and Allies), as well as dialogue with the audience.

This event is free and open to the public. The film series continues to be a source of connection, education, and solidarity building. The conversation and action that these films and discussions generate are crucial.