Cinema Metropolis: The Journey Home | Beirut, Tel Aviv-Yafo, and Gaza

What can we learn about our space when we look at Tel Aviv-Yafo, Beirut, and Gaza, not as separate places, but as cities whose histories are intertwined? What do local cinema and the urban space of each city tell us about migration and displacement, memory and resistance, and the possibility of imagining a shared future?

The final evening of the "Cinema Metropolis" series will open with Shani Kiniso, film researcher and critic, discussing the role of Israeli and Tel Aviv cinema in shaping national identity and coping with Holocaust trauma—from the heroic cinema of the state's early years to confronting the cost of the conflict.

Myriam Younes, a Lebanese-Israeli activist, will examine how Lebanese cinema represents a changing Beirut against the backdrop of the city's spatial division, Iranian settlement in the Dahiyeh, internal and external migration, the civil war, and conflicts with Israel. Through these films, we will examine how experiences of exile and trauma are represented, and how and why Lebanese cinema transformed from commercial entertainment into political creation.

Historian Dr. Dotan Halevi will cover the urban history of the Gaza Strip, from its transformation into a refuge for refugees in 1948, through the changes since the Six-Day War and Israeli rule, to the roles of culture and cinema within a space of displacement and resistance.

Following this, a panel discussion will take place featuring the speakers and additional guests. The panel will explore how culture, art, community, and society can cross demilitarized borders, especially in light of the election results.

Participants

Dr. Dotan Halevi: Historian of the modern Middle East who researches the spatial, environmental, and social history of Gaza and the Gaza Strip. He is a senior lecturer in the Department of Middle Eastern and African History at Tel Aviv University.

Myriam Younes: Activist, social media researcher, and Lebanese-Israeli content creator. She is known for her advocacy work and the cultural bridge she builds between Israeli society and the Arab world.

Dr. Michal Yaari: Orientalist, lecturer at Ben-Gurion University, and commentator in Israeli and international media. Her field of research focuses on the Gulf States, women in the Arab world, and relations between Israel and Arab countries.

Moderator: Shani Kiniso, film researcher and critic.

Content Development: Moran Navon (Content Manager at Liebling Haus) and Shani Kiniso.

Schedule

19:00 Hangout with a DJ set by "Anan Records" and drinks by "Cafe Liebling".

20:00 Opening remarks and short lectures by Shani Kiniso, Myriam Younes, and Dr. Dotan Halevi.

20:45 Summary panel + Screening of a short film (to be announced).

Important Notes

Unassigned seating; alternative seating arrangements.

It is highly recommended to arrive when doors open to secure a spot.

Registration is available for individual events; session contents are independent of one another.

The event is a collaboration between Liebling Haus (of the Bialik Square cultural centers), The Unthinkable Cinema Project, Devek, Anan Records, and Lev Cafe.

Cinema Metropolis is an event series focusing on cities around the world during moments of crisis and turning points—ranging from wars and political/religious tensions, through social and economic hardships, to eras of prosperity and peace. In each meeting, different cities are examined through cinema to learn how historical crises shaped the face of the city, both in reality and on screen. By looking at other cities in times of crisis and change, we hope to re-examine the reality of our own space and think about the future we wish to shape here.