Al Kasaba Theatre and Cinematheque is preparing for the opening of Al Kasaba international film festival between 12-25 Nov2008.

Al Kasaba Film festival will open with the film Salt of this Sea for the Palestinian director AnneMarie Jacir, that was screened in Cannes film festival 2008.

The Film tells the story of Soraya,who born in Brooklyn in a working class community of Palestinian refugees, discovers that her grandfather’s savings were frozen in a bank account in Jaffa when he was exiled in 1948. Stubborn, passionate and determined to reclaim what is hers, she fulfills her life-long dream of “returning” to Palestine. Slowly she is taken apart by the reality around her and is forced to confront her own anger. She meets Emad, a young Palestinian whose ambition, contrary to hers, is to leave forever. Tired of the constraints that dictate their lives, they know in order to be free, they must take things into their own hands, even if it’s illegal. Al Kasaba will screen more than 47 feature, documentary, short films from all over the world.

Films for the Spanish director Pedro Almodovar are also listed.

Al Kasaba international film festival 2008 is a continue the successes that was achieved by , Al Kasaba International Film Festival 2006, 2007 and film weeks that organized by Al Kasaba Theatre and Cinematheque, since its establishment. Al Kasaba has become the leading cinema and only in cinema Palestine, which carries a number of artistic and cultural messages , In addition to the political dimension.

The Syrian Films

From its inception of the importance of choosing Damascus as an Arabic cultural capital, the festival will screen a group of Syrian films for the Syrian director Omar Amiralay.

One of the most important films for Omar Amiralay is the Euphrates Dam This first film by the veteran documentary filmmaker Omar Amiralay follows the construction of a dam on the Euphrates river that is supposed to bring tremendous improvement in the lives of villages around it. Thirty years later, the filmmaker will revisit the site in Flood in Baath Country, and the enthusiasm once generated by the Baath.

Young Palestinian Directors

Al Kasaba film festival will pay attention to a group of short films that were directed by a group of young Palestinian directors wish to gain success in the cinema field.

Al Kasaba international festival is funded by the Palestinian ministry of Culture, Konrad- Adenauer-Stiftung, Swiss Agency for cooperation, Ramallah municipality, Spanish cooperation.

In Cooperation with the General French consulate, Goethe institute.

The Films will be screened in Ramallah, Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Jenin and Nablus and the Syrian Film will be screened in Khalil Sakakini cultural center.