A video game installation as part of the Recall–Reflect–Return 70 Years: Palestine Performance Symposium hosted by Nowat Theatre in al-Arroub refugee camp.
In this game, residents of al-Arroub approached an installation of muted videos of people from their community in conversation. Participants selected a scene and then told their own story overtop of the video.
I spent my first few days in al-Arroub meeting people, recruiting actors, and recording conversations. There was no shortage of volunteers from the community. People invited me into their homes, fed me, and encouraged their children to participate. Their generosity and trust in me was overwhelming.
We originally installed the game on the street where it could be enjoyed by passersby, but this was interrupted by Israeli soldiers firing tear gas in our direction for no apparent reason other than the fact that there were people on the street and it was becoming dark. Since it was no longer safe to play on the streets, we reinstalled the game on the unfinished upper floor of Hazem Al Sharif’s home, which also serves as the Nowat Theatre space. There was no glass in the window frames, so we could still smell the tear gas and hear the commotion going on outside. However, this was soon drowned out by the sounds of laughter and excitement within the walls of the theatre.
This experience was, for me, a profound encounter with the resilience and bravery of this community. Their strength of spirit was not weakened by the oppression and assault they live with every day.