Eyeless in Gaza
HDV, 69:18 mins

“A profound ethnography on the coping mechanisms of a people under siege and in the aftermath of the massive destruction of Operation Cast Lead.. . . [Salem] works in the original style of vérité juxtaposing contrasting imagery to get at truths hidden in the space between. The film has several examples of, to use Donna Goldstein’s phrase, laughter out of place, macabre humor used to make sense of a trying situation. . . Salem’s photography in capturing this imagery is consistently engaging and revelatory. His handheld work makes personal the conversations and offers unconventional frameworks for the subjects, often showing a fascination for mouths and heads other than those doing the talking.” —The Electronic Intifada

Newly edited in 2026, Eyeless in Gaza is an ambient film shot in Gaza in the aftermath of Operation Cast Lead, the 2008-2009 Israeli bombardment that killed 1,440 people. At the time, this was the worst assault Palestinians had endured since the ethnic cleansing of their land. I traveled to Gaza with a human rights delegation to deliver water filters and toys. As a Palestinian American, it was my first time visiting Gaza, and I quickly extended my ticket. Using a handheld camcorder, the footage is characterized by closeups and vérité-style movement. Unmediated by narration or analysis, its closest analog is Paul Chan's Baghdad In No Particular Order, an ambient essay film shot in the aftermath of Shock and Awe. The film moves through the narratives of a 100-year-old woman with vivid memories of the Nakbeh, a black-masked group of PFLP resistance fighters, the grieving parents of a martyred young girl, two teenage brothers who sleep beside the rubble of their razed home, a reluctant dancer at an engagement celebration, and a 10-year-old boy with a knack for raw performance, among many others.

Available for screenings.