Two documentaries drawing attention to what it means to fight for something you believe in
By Julian Sharma
“The people, united, will never be defeated!”
These were the words chanted by pro-Palestine protesters at Columbia University in April 2024 while defending their encampments from the NYPD, as shown in the documentary The Encampments. They are also the words that sum up the two events I attended at this year’s Toronto Palestinian Film Festival (TPFF).
$17.74, a short film directed by Justin Mashouf, was screened prior to the documentary feature. It follows a man named Hamzah, who was incarcerated and serving a life sentence in a Californian prison, when he learned of the atrocities being inflicted upon the Palestinian people.
“Israel has cut off water, light and gas,” Hamzah said, reciting what he heard on the news. “So I had to do something.”
In California, the constitution bans involuntary servitude, except for incarcerated people. These laws are what uphold the prison industrial complex and pay incarcerated people like Hamzah an inhumane 13 cents an hour for their labor. Hamzah donated his entire month’s paycheque of $17.74 to relief funds for Gaza.
Mashouf has been a mentor to Hamzah for over 15 years, first meeting him during the production of his 2017 documentary, The Honest Struggle and keeping up contact ever since. He is the one who processed the cheque from Hamzah en route to the aid organizations in Gaza, posted a picture of the cheque on his social media, explaining where it came from and what Hamzah had done.
An incarcerated brother I am in correspondence with donated $17.74 for relief efforts in Gaza. This donation is the sum of 136 hours of his labor in the prison working as a porter/janitor. May his sincere donation be multiplied by the Creator. #Gaza #ceasefirenow pic.twitter.com/MIeQ4Zmbi0
— Justin Mashouf (@Mashouf) February 26, 2024
The post went viral, as Hamzah’s story touched the hearts of thousands of people across the U.S. They were inspired by this man’s dedication to helping others, even when he didn’t have much to give.
There were emotional monologues from Hamzah, footage from Gaza depicting the genocide and heartwarming scenes of Hamzah connecting with his Muslim faith. It is that faith that led him towards the fight for Palestine. The footage from Gaza was heavy, but a key aspect in shaping the film, as it didn’t shy away from the atrocities that Palestinians are facing. At a time when staying silent and refusing to help or speak out is so easy for so many people, Hamzah’s story and determination stands out.
The film’s ending shows Hamzah released from incarceration on parole due to legislation in California that offers new parole opportunities for those serving long sentences, who were convicted before turning 18. A GoFundMe campaign set up by Mashoud for Hamzah raised $102,145 for his re-entry to society. The campaign was closed to donations at the request of Hamzah, who thanked the donors for their generosity, but requested their attention turn towards the people of Gaza, Yemen and Africa who are enduring humanitarian crises.
He reunited with his family and vowed to “dedicate his life to uplifting oppressed people,” all of which brought tears to the eyes of many audience members, myself included.
Hamzah demonstrated that you don’t need to be a politician or philanthropist to make a difference — all you need is compassion and drive to help people who desperately need it and that can be enough to spark change in people’s hearts.
Right after Mashouf’s short, The Encampments, directed by Michael Workman and Kai Pritsker, flickered on the screen.
The documentary sheds light on the reality of the Columbia encampments, giving students the platform to share their experiences as well as explore the impact the encampments had on them, university administration and the movement for Palestine.
The Encampments offers perspectives from activists like Mahmoud Khalil, who was detained by ICE earlier this year for his pro-Palestinian activism, the encampments’ negotiator and spokesperson, Sueda Polat and Palestinian journalist Bisan Owda.
Interspersed among these perspectives are videos of the responses to the encampments: clips of journalists condemning the protests and social media posts circulating, showing support for the student movement. Between the encampment coverage is footage of what was happening in Gaza as the movement went on. NYPD body cam footage of officers brutalizing students occupying Hind’s Hall is integrated, effectively conveying the excessive force that was used and the physical abuse inflicted on these student protestors.
In another montage, footage from Gaza of children being dragged out of rubble is overlaid atop a speech from former U.S. President Joe Biden, stating “order must prevail” in college campuses across the nation, demonstrating the government’s apathy to the cause.
…it’s important not to romanticize the encampments. The students who were a part of those encampments were receiving death threats from zionists, faculty and police alike. They were under constant pressure and duress, all while some students were losing loved ones in Gaza.
Reactions to the scenes depicted onscreen were visceral, as audience members gasped, booed and even cried throughout the showing.
It wasn’t all tears though. When the University of Toronto (UofT) encampments showed up on screen, there were cheers and applause across the room. There was laughter during an NYPD speech about the dangers of the Hind’s Hall occupation, because well, the real danger there was the police. There was even booing during a statement from Minouche Shafik, who was Columbia’s president at the time of the encampments.
A panel about the university encampments titled “United in Action: Lessons for Collective Change” was hosted after the screenings, discussing mobilization on campuses and its role in social justice movements. Student organizers from UofT, Sara Rasikh and Mohammed Yassin were speaking as well as Marianna Reis, the president of CUPE 3902 and Joshua Sealy-Harrington of the University of Windsor’s Chair in Palestinian Human Rights.
During the panel, Rasikh and Yassin both mentioned that it’s important not to romanticize the encampments. The students who were a part of those encampments were receiving death threats from zionists, faculty and police alike. They were under constant pressure and duress, all while some students were losing loved ones in Gaza.
Acknowledging that, however, does not erase the moments of beauty found within the encampments. The film portrays students learning the traditional Levantine folk dance, dabke, laughing and leaning on each other while attempting the steps. This marked a moment of connection and joy for these students who are facing a terrifying reality everyday, simply for fighting occupation and genocide.
Their movement inspired protests across the U.S. and in Canada as well. During the panel discussion after the screening, Yassin, who was involved in the UofT encampments, said he felt inspired by the Columbia encampments. He felt it was up to him to do something for Palestine and he couldn’t wait around for someone else to do it for him.
The same sentiment is echoed throughout $17.74 and The Encampments, tying the screenings and panel together. Both films carry their own message of resistance, displaying powerful examples of people’s power to resist as a collective or individually. The Columbia encampments would not have been possible without the work of everyone involved, whereas Hamzah really only needed his own grit and determination to make a difference. Every action counts, whether big or small.
Each film demonstrated that Palestinian resistance has been around for years and will continue to exist, in whatever forms necessary, for however long it is necessary.
As Khalil put it during the documentary, “We will resist it until Palestine is free.”
