Gaza’s Cinemas & Theatres

Film & Performing ArtsHistory
Written By afikra Design

In the This Is Not a Watermelon podcast episode with Abaher El-Sakka, the Palestinian sociologist touched briefly on the cinemas and theaters of Gaza, which got us searching for them. We’re sharing a mix of facts, amazing old images, and stories we’ve found.

 

Gaza’s Cinemas

Apparently, Gaza was home to 10 cinemas between the 1930s and 1980s. For a brief period, cinema prospered in the city with all kinds of films being screened from Arabic and Hollywood to Bollywood productions. 

Amongst the city’s oldest cinemas were the al-Khadra and al-Samer Cinemas which were built in the 1940s. After the end of the British occupation, cinema al-Galaa opened in 1951, followed by al-Nasr and Cinema Amer – an open-air summer cinema. It’s said that there was even a dedicated beach cinema. Further south in Rafah, Freedom, Peace and al-Sabreen cinemas also opened their doors. 

Cinema al Samer via Palestine Remembered

Sitting right on the border with Egypt, Gaza enjoyed a steady flow of Egyptian films. In later years, these different cinemas would come to be known for showing certain genres of film.

سينما النصر فيغزة عام 1961 | Cinema Nasser in 1961 via Facebook

According to one article that we read, after the Nakba in 1948, UNRWA implemented a cultural program screening films in camps across the Gaza strip. The movies were punctuated by informative videos about health and childcare.  

Any remaining cinemas were shut by the Israeli occupation in the 80s and later destroyed, burnt down or damaged during the First Intifada. Since then, there have been no cinemas in Gaza: a deliberate denial and suppression of any budding social or cultural scene within designated community spaces. Instead, grassroots movements have started emerging – organizing public screenings and rallying for the reopening of the strip’s cinemas. 

We’d love to add to what we’ve got here, so if you happen to have any visuals or data on the cinemas of Gaza, or consider yourself an expert in the topic, share your findings with us.

 
afikra Design
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