Jenin/Palestine – “We all have worked together to build something – and finally our dream of the cinema has come true,” says Markus Vetter, director and founder of the cultural project Cinema Jenin. The movie theatre, located in the Westbank, was opened today in presence of prominent guests such as Prime Minister Dr. Salam Fayyad, Bianca Jagger (Founder and Chair of the Bianca Jagger Human Rights Foundation and Council of Europe goodwill Ambassador) and Jaka Bilzilj (“Cinema for Peace”), as well as more than 80 journalists from all over the world. Around 400 visitors from Jenin had bought tickets in advance to make sure not to miss the opening. Until midnight, they enjoyed the first of three festival days with Arabic music, mask theatre and the documentary “The Heart of Jenin” which was shown as the opening film in the new Open-Air Cinema. Despite his health problems, Prime Minister Salam Fayyad made his way to Jenin for the opening. “Cinema Jenin is immensely important for the building of a Palestinian state,” he said. Only a short while ago, the Palestinian National Authority has donated 50.000 Euros to the project.

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Jenin/Berlin – Great news from the USA stunned director Marcus Vetter and his project-team exactly three weeks before the Opening of „Cinema Jenin“: The prizewinning documentary „Heart of Jenin“ was nominated for the „31. News and Documentary Emmy Awards“.

Annually the Emmy-Academy pays tribute to „journalistic excellence by awarding the coveted Emmy to the very best news reports and documentary films aired on national television or streamed over the Internet each year“. The awards for the highest reputed television productions are to be handed out on September 27th, 2010. „Heart of Jenin“ will compete in the category „Outstanding Informal Programming Long Form“.

After having won the German Film Award this past April, this new honor is the latest highlight. “The Emmy Nomination literally came from nowhere,” exclaims Marcus Vetter. “For weeks now we have been working day and night in Jenin to make sure that Cinema Jenin will be ready in time for the opening ceremony on August 5th—all of our thoughts revolve around this cinema! This surprising news from New York comes at the best time and has given us more energy and encouragement.” Amongst others, Human Rights activist Bianca Jagger announced her attendence for the big opening. Roger Waters, founding member of Pink Floyd and loyal supporter of Cinema Jenin, wrote a song for the opening celebraton in almst two weeks.

The Background of „Heart of Jenin“ and Cinema Jenin:
Marcus Vetter never forgot the story behind the documentary “Heart of Jenin.” Therefore, two years ago the filmmaker from Southern Germany decided to reconstruct an abandoned cinema in Jenin with the help of Palestinian specialists and international volunteers. This cinema came to be called Cinema Jenin. It was during this process of reconstruction, that the Non-Profit Organization “Cinema Jenin” came into being. Many people who are involved in the Cinema Jenin project have created numerous visionary ideas which revolve around Jenin becoming a center for Palestinian artwork and film. Some creative initiatives include: the distribution of documentaries like “After the Silence” from Cinema Jenin Production, the creation of a sound studio where movies from all over the world will be dubbed and subtitled for viewing in the cinema, and the creation of a film school for talented Palestinian adolescents. Various workshops havealready began taking place in Cinema Jenin.These workshops go beyond just filmmaking, but also put include a focus on other topics, such as empowerment for Palestinian women and ecological awareness projects for the kids in Jenin.

“I’ve seen endless movies here when I was young. Palestine needs more projects like this.
This cinema is a real catalyst for more to come.”
(Dr. Ali Jarbawi, Minister of Planning and Development Cooperation/Palestine)

Berlin/Jenin – After two years of restoration works, the international cultural project Cinema Jenin opens its doors with a three-day festival this summer: the first international and Arabic films will hit the brandnew screen between August 5th and 7th, embedded in the opening festivities with Palestinian guests of honour and lots of music. The opening film will be “Heart of Jenin”. Besides, Cinema Jenin will show the BBC documentary „Deep Blue“, the Egyptian film „Hassan & Marcus“ starring Omar Sharif – a clear statement against violence and extremism. „Trio Joubran” from Nazareth/Paris bring an atmospheric, avant-garde oud concert on the cinema stage. In the „Freedom Theatre“, youths from Jenin’s refugee camp are already intensely working on a play to be performed during the opening. Dr. Salam Fayyad, Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority, has already confirmed his attendance for the opening festivities.

A press conference in the cinema is scheduled for August 5th, 1:00 p.m. Visitors and journalists can purchase a festival pass for all three opening days, and sleep at a hotel or with the help of Cinema Jenin find private accomodation in Jenin. Registration and further information will be provided on our website within the next few days.

Cinema Jenin is more than a building of hopes …

…3-D CINEMA, carbon neutral, SUBTITLING STUDIO, synchronization, THE BEGINNING OF A FILM SCHOOL, education & employability, CINEMA LIBRARY, film production, DEVELOPMENT OF EQUALS, guest house, CAFÉ, public space, EMPLOYMENT, short films, PEACE MESSAGE, solar energy, OPEN AIR, stage, WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT….
And it is: YOUR HELP

More information: www.cjfestival.com

This day, a sandstorm from the desert came over to Jenin. Nevertheless, preparations for the first Open-Day went ahead as planned: we cleaned the cinema, sorted out the front stairs that were heavily stained from the construction work, and swept the cinema garden to make it nice and comfortable for the expected visitors.

At five pm, on the dot, all was finished and the doors were opened: in came people of all ages and gender- families, elderly people, groups of children and young women and men. Women, who so far haven’t had any public space to meet in Jenin, besides the mosque, came in great numbers, many of them all made-up for this special event.

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Time goes by in Jenin. While I’m writing that story, my last day in the Cinema Jenin project has begun. 7 weeks I’ve been here, for some people that might be a long time, however, for me it was like a short film. I spent 50 days as a volunteer in this project and what I lived to see was much more than I expected when I had left Germany. Before I started my journey to the north of the west bank, friends of mine had mentioned: Why Jenin? Isn’t that a quite dangerous place? I was not sure, what I shall answer them. I didn’t’ know so much about Jenin with its approximately 50.000 inhabitants, including the neighboring refugee camp. After staying 7 weeks in the city and according to my experiences, I’m able to answer them: Don’t worry: it’s one of the most comfortable places I’ve ever been with lots of friendly and open minded people.

What I appreciate beyond that was the work in the project itself. Retrospectively, I’ve recognized a deep team building process between local and international members of the Cinema Jenin project. The project has become a melting pot for Palestinians and international volunteers, who have -due the common working process- grown up to one team.

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Berlin/Jenin – On Friday night, director Marcus Vetter, founder of Project Cinema Jenin, enthusiastically accepted the LOLA for the best German documentary film 2010.

Germany’s chancellor Angela Merkel was among the audience who witnessed „Heart of Jenin“ win the award for the best feature-length documentary in Berlin. After having been awarded a number of international prizes in 2009 (Audience Choice Awards of the International Film Festivals in Dubai and Den Haag, Cinema for Peace-Award), Marcus Vetter was visibly delighted when his film now received the most highly endowed and renowned film award of his home country. „I am extraordinarily happy about this award. One reason, of course, is the further acknowledgement of ‘Heart of Jenin’. The other reason, which is especially important to me, is that this honour contributes to bringing ‘Project Cinema Jenin’ into the public focus”, he said.

The completion of the film was not at all the end of the moving story of „Heart of Jenin“: It was in 2008 that the idea of renovating Jenin’s old cinema and of building a centre for film in the West Bank occurred to Marcus Vetter. Skilled Palestinian workers as well as local and international volunteers have been working on the reopening of “Cinema Jenin” for more than two years. The moment they have been waiting for will finally arrive on August 5th: The cinema will open its doors with a large celebration and a three-day film festival. The opening film, of course, will be „Heart of Jenin“.

To make the dream, that started with “Heart of Jenin”, come true in its entirety, Project Cinema Jenin continues to count on its supporters’ commitment. The outside of the cinema is already finished. Now the renovation of the interior and the installation of the technical equipment remain to be completed. Next to the cinema building there will be (among other things) an open air screen with 1200 seats, a coffee house, a sound and dubbing studio, and an editing room. So there is still much to be done within the next three months, and for all this, the project will need another 70.000 Euros.

People who would like to contribute to the renovation of the cinema, are welcome to support project Cinema Jenin: Here you find more informations how to support us

Three and a half months before the opening festival will take place in Jenin, two workshops offered by Cinema Jenin have been started. Volunteer Mike Gentile is very glad to lead a film and editing workshop with about 30 Palestinian locals: “It’s a new experience to offer a workshop and I really enjoy the time with the participants because all of them are very interested in learning how to create a film.” Both workshops are kindly sponsored by HERZENSSACHE e.V. from SWR Baden Baden.

That enthusiasm was a crucial factor for Mike to defer his intended studies, which would begin next month. According to that, he will stay in Jenin for an undetermined amount of time to build up a professional film team, which will be able to create advertising movies for the new LED-Screen. That huge screen (4×6m) to be placed on the cinema’s roof probably arrives in May. The participants are trained in technical skills like shooting, cutting and editing. “The workshop is a great experience for us, some kind of adventure”, Mona Staiti, a participant, said. One of the main characteristics of the workshop, which she especially points out, is the teamwork. “All of us are involved in discussions and processes so that everybody for example gets the chance to be a director or cameraman. We take all decisions together.”

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(From left to right: Marcus Vetter, the director of ‘Heart of Jenin’ with Matthias Platzeck, Brandenburg’s state prime minister.)

„The cinema is the highlight of my visit here. It is impossible to describe in words how beautiful it is“, says Matthias Platzeck, Prime Minister of the Federal State of Brandenburg, on his visit of „Cinema Jenin“

Jenin- The Prime Minister of the Federal State of Brandenburg, Matthias Platzeck, has visited the project „Cinema Jenin“ in the West Bank today, and was thrilled. „This cinema is more than a regular cinema. It will further peace in this region a good deal“, said Platzeck. He was visibly moved by a 20-minute film trailer, which was shown for the first time to an audience of some 100 Palestinian guests and 20 businessmen from Brandenburg in the same movie theatre that had screened its last film more than 20 years before. The trailer shows the origins of the project „Cinema Jenin“. The film itself will have its worldwide theatrical release in 2011.
Matthias Platzeck took the time for long conversations with Jenin’s governor Qadora Muosa as well as with Marcus Vetter, director and founder of the „Cinema Jenin“ project. „It always takes some crazy people to get something like this off the ground“, he said about the cinema in the West Bank, which will be groundbreaking as a symbol of peace in the region.

Accompanied by businessmen from Brandenburg, Matthias Platzeck inaugurated a solar collector (sponsored by the Bosch Group and B5 Solar) for the cinema roof, which will guarantee an ecological and cost-saving energy supply for the cinema’s future. Brandenburg’s main promotional bank ILB has funded the transport of the solar collector with 12.000 Euros. The Prime Minister concluded his visit announcing that he, as well as Studio Babelsberg in Potsdam, will sponsor one of the newly restored cinema seats.

Background: „Welcome to Cinema Jenin!“

The work on “Cinema Jenin” began in 2008: The old cinema is planned to become a comprehensive cultural centre in the middle of Jenin. The opening for all Palestinian visitors is scheduled for the first week of August. A large festival with international guests and a selected programme will presumably take place in April 2011. Fakhri Hamad (Jenin), Marcus Vetter (Tübingen, Germany), and Ismail Khatib (Jenin) are the initiators of the project. Fakhri Hamad is also the manager of “Cinema Jenin”.

Marcus Vetter, director and founder of Cinema Jenin, enters the competition for the most prestigious German film award.

Jenin/Berlin – Last Friday, the 1000 members of the Deutsche Filmakademie announced their votes: „Heart of Jenin“ is now among the two best documentary films, so director Marcus Vetter’s chances are quite good to be able to take home one of the desired LOLA trophies from the award ceremony on April 23rd. The ceremony at the Friedrichstadtpalast, Berlin will be hosted by TV celebrity Barbara Schöneberger, and broadcast live from 9.45 p.m. on Erstes Deutsches Fernsehen. Next to Marcus Vetter’s “Heart of Jenin”, other successful German films such as Fatih Akin’s “Soul Kitchen”, or Michael Haneke’s “Das weiße Band”, hope for the equally prestigious and lucrative prize.

Even though Project Cinema Jenin will not benefit from the nomination financially, the large symbolic value provides the project with new impetus: “It is great to receive such acknowledgement for ‘Heart of Jenin’, especially now. We, the team of Cinema Jenin, are currently going through the very difficult final stage concerning funding and completion of the cinema. The nomination for the film award has given a real psychological boost not only to me, but to all the team members”, says Marcus Vetter, director and founder of Cinema Jenin.
This drive is hoped to last until August 2010: Then Cinema Jenin, with a big celebration, will open its doors to the inhabitants of Jenin as well as to all the friends, sponsors and promoters of this international peace project in the West Bank.

Anyone who is interested can adopt one of the beautiful red velvet seats of the cinema. To cover the costs of this cultural project in the West Bank, a symbolic amount of 1000 Euros per chair is needed. Donors are also welcome to fund part of a chair, or to pool the sum as a group.

www.deutscher-filmpreis.de

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It´s been a while since I wrote my last blog entry. Meanwhile a lot has happened, we had ups and downs, the usual stuff when you work on such a project. Internal and external problems, a shortage of financial resources, producing a short stop of construction, and so on…

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In June 2008, Marcus was the surprise guest at „Social Entrepreneurship Forum“ in Potsdam. He showed the trailer of Heart of Jenin and the audience, mainly tough business men, have been deeply moved. So was I. At the following speakers’ dinner, I sat next to him. „This project’s energy is simply incredible. I would love to take part.“ „Welcome“ was his answer.
For the second time, I am here in Jenin now. Sitting in the basement of this old, beautifully renovated guesthouse. I’m enjoying the fresh air and the peace in the middle of this amazing, boiling hot, vivid, dusty city.

And here, in Jenin, I can feel this high energy again. This house is an open system, attracting people from all over the world. They come, they observe, they listen and then they get hooked – everybody ready to participate, contributing with whatever they can. With a brush in their hand to paint a window frame, or a camera to advise the kids how to shoot scenes of their daily life, with a knife to cut the kilos of freshly bought vegetables from the market around the corner to prepare dinner for numerous hungry stomachs, or sitting at one of the laptops, sending mails or working on the layout of an “Cinema Jenin coming soon” advertisement – or just sitting on the terrace till late, a glass of peppermint in one hand and a cigarette in the other, thinking out of the box to find solutions and new ideas or just talking about the daily impressions….
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Dear friends of Project Cinema Jenin,
some month ago the habitants of Jenin did not really know what these strange foreigners from Europe are doing in their city. Slowly the people realized and understood from personal talks with the team, the volunteers and the local helping hands that we plan to renovate and re-open the cinema next year. So we decided to start a campain in the city to make sure that everybody gets to know about it. In the first step we now have our flyer in Arabic language. Furthermore we announced the re-opening of the cinema, as you can see, on a big banner in Arabic language on the roof of the cinema. Later there will be a LED-screen for commercials produced by the youngsters of the Cinema Jenin Filmschool and Cinema Jenin Production, featuring the movies wich will be show next in the cinema. There are many more ideas regarding this screen.

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After incredible, never ending thunderstorms (and a serious cold snap) the trees started to flourish as rapidly as our stage in the cinema – it’s just amazing – have a look!
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Salam aleikum! Shukran! Affuan! These are familiar words to all of us in the guesthouse. It is sufficient to make people smile in the street and shops, but after a wile, you really want to learn more. So we found out that literally around the corner there is a language school, the Student’s Scientific Society Center SSSC. The other day, we kindly have been invited to talk about our future cooperation, to get to know the teachers, their approach and the location. So Felix – who by the way speaks a fluent Arabic and myself (whom you will rarely see on any photo because I am always taking them), we went to school again…

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For the opening festival from the “cinema jenin” in august 2010, we are planning a small theatre play which should be performed in the cinema!

In Summer 2008, in the Cuneo Center in the Jenin Refugee camp, me and Ziad Bakri decided to start the first theatre workshop with children from the camp. When we arrived Ismael, had already collected a group of actors who were joining in a mask workshop. Ziad was by my side to translate. You could feel that he also loves children a lot which is very important anyway…
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Having been introduced to “PROJECT CINEMA JENIN“ by a feature in 3sat’s “Kulturzeit“, my wife Angela and myself decided to spend two weeks working in Jenin during this summer. After visiting Marcus and Annette in Tübingen and after the exchange of lots of mails and phonecalls, our trip started August 4th with our Elal flight from Munich to Tel Aviv, our luggage filled with donations. After the first night in the beautiful “Austrian Hospice“ in Jerusalem’s Arabic Quarter, we met with Annette and 15 boys and girls from “Leibniz-Kolleg“ who also had decided to work as volunteers for CJ. The young folks started a short trip through Israel, so Angela, Annette and myself, we went to Jenin by bus. After a very hot three-hours-trip we were welcomed by Achim and Johannes and introduced to all the friendly Palestinian workers and volunteers. Angela, Annette and myself, we really were the first three people who ever slept in the Guesthouse! The next night, Achim joined us, and some days later the “Leibniz-Kolleg“ volunteers arrived.
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Since I have left to Berlin at the end of the summer, I have been back to Jenin twice, once in October and once now, at end of November, to supervise the construction works.
The visit in October was most effective. Within a week, the stage was enlarged by a steel/wood construction. It was amazing how fast the ironworks and the wooden decking was ready. Here in Jenin, I found the most incredible metal-works company owned by the Jalbuni family, who supported the project from the very beginning by generous donations. With their help, we are also restoring the old cast-iron cinema chairs. Their excellent equipment makes it possible to do almost anything.
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At the very beginning of the project we decided to spend as much of the donations we received and are still receiving here in Jenin. One aspect of this decision concerns the contractors, the other the products we choose to use.
For example the cinema-chair. The original chairs from the sixties, covered with pigeon feces, in large parts damaged and to narrow in width, were not usable anymore. Nevertheless the chair-legs were made of beautifully designed cast iron. So instead of importing a modern chair from abroad, spending the budget for example in Turkey, we decided to restore the existing chairs, upholster them, and at the same time enlarging the width so that they meet todays demands of comfort. It´s obvious that such a route requires more time and energy from our side to ensure quality, but our aim to support the very local economy was always a good guide when we had to make such decisions.
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The German Foreign Ministry supports ‘Cinema Jenin’ within the framework of its ‘Future for Palestine’ programme. The Ministry has made possible part of the renovation of the cinema with more than 240,000 Euro including the acquisition of two D-Cinema projectors. ‘Goethe Institute Ram’Allah’ is planning to open a movie library and gallery on the first floor of the cinema and is also using one of the rooms of the guesthouse for German lessons. AirBerlin has been extremely generous in sponsoring monthly flights (and excess luggage) to Tel Aviv and back and, in this way, support the work of our volunteers and staff. The ‘Cinema Jenin’ association would also like to thank our partners and sponsors, like Ferrostaal, Gerriets, Xpand, Bewegte Bilder, the ‘Cinema for Peace’ Foundation, Hasso Plattner Ventures and all the many others whose logos are shown on our webpage and without whose generous support we would not be able to do what we are doing!

Cinema Jenin has also found a new reliable partner in the city of Tubingen: The formal ties between the project and the city will ensure that there will be a consistent cultural exchange and increasing connections with Europe after the opening of the cinema. What had started with the cinema in Jenin will also be growing in Tubingen.
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The Cinema Jenin association will be running a poster campaign from January 2010 onwards in order to publicize the project internationally. The idea is to find sponsors who are willing to finance a large poster or a poster space and who will be given the option to publish their logo on the poster in return. Posters are already available for download in various formats from the website. Everyone can distribute the poster – the names and logos of sponsors comprise the tesserae in the Cinema Jenin butterfly logo.

Our poster and postcard you find in our download section here.

Cinema Jenin is a transparent development project which seeks to encourage people to get actively involved. Everyone is welcome to come and visit us in person or online. The project Cinema Jenin still needs your support. Although the renovation of the cinema building will likely be completed by January 2010, we still need to finance the following:

• The renovation of the Cuneo Center for Peace
• Establishing of a studio for subtitling and synchronization
• A sound system for the open air cinema
• Lighting equipment and microphones for theatrical performances
• Digitizing 20 films for the festival
• An LED Screen
• Film Workshops for the youth of Jenin
• Festival organization
• Accomodation for volunteers
• Transportation for Equipment

For donations please check our website here!

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Yesterday, Matt kindly invited for a Jenin evening at his place in the centre of Berlin, a big apartment he is charing wi th 5 other nice people. He prepared a copious, delicious Palestinian buffet, as good as the ones we know from the kitchen table in our guesthouse – except that the humus was home-made, like everything else! Wonderful!

And on top of this, I had the chance to bring a surprise guest: Ismael! I got the phone call in the morning that the had arrived in Berlin – and I did not tell anybody.

We showed the Cinema Jenin trailer and photos from my last stay in Jenin, discussed and made plans with the ones who will come to Cinema Jenin guesthouse soon. Shortly before 11 pm, we watched TV: Ismael’s interview at Gottschalk’s People of the Year 2009.

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Cinema Jenin is coming soon… that was our message at the first press conference we had last week on Wednesday. Meeting place was the German Arab Society in Berlin-Moabit – a part of the Capital that isn’t as noble as one someone acquainted with the area would expect this kind of official première to take place in. But: The place was charming, colourful and exactly that what we wanted! A warm atmosphere, perfect lighting for the ongoing film project and very nice hosts like Mr. Bock and Mrs. Darwisch who made everything go so smooth.

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Early in the morning, Walid, our great guide, picked us up at the guesthouse. It was really cold in February. We have been a small group of braves, ready to share the beauty of the first sun-rays over Jenin’s mountains.

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Here are some pictures of the cinema from my last visit in jenin in January 2010. A report from our architect Johannes is coming soon….

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The Cinema building is still under construction, but one of our main objectives – media training and intercultural communication – has come to a further step. Right now, about 20 young people from Palestine and Germany hold a short film workshop together here at Cinema Jenin.

Together with Goethe-Institut and Beleza Film, young film makers are realizing their short film ideas under the topic “One day in the West Bank”. Over 50 young Palestinians, between 18 and 30 years old, had applied with their own film ideas. The submitted applications cover a wide spectrum of issues such as experiences at checkpoints, the role of women in Palestinian society, stories about their daily life. The 10 best are now developing, shooting, and cutting their own short film production together with a German partner under the professional and technical supervision of Beleza Film.
Forming a network, improving skills, exploring different cultural backgrounds and expressing them by film are seen as the most promising benefits by the participants.

In Summer 2010 the films are to be premiered at the Cinema in Jenin.

Wendelin Marmon

Gendarmenmarkt in Berlin-Mitte is a wonderful place steeped in history, dazzling spotlights and, every now and then, a red carpet for the stars. We, the Cinema-Jenin-Team, were not going to pass up on the chance to promote our cinema in the West Bank there. What better opportunity could there be than the renowned Cinema for Peace Gala?

It took place on February 15th, just a day before our big fund-raising event at the Chamäleon theatre. For those not in the know: Cinema for Peace is a special film event which since 2002 has handed out prizes to international filmmakers dealing critically with social, political and sociological issues in their work. In the words of its initiators: “This prestigious event is a symbol of peace, freedom and tolerance, a symbol with a lasting effect on the world of film and media, initiating important projects and the free exchange of ideas.”

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As last years winner of the “Cinema for Peace Award” for his documentary “Heart of Jenin”, Marcus Vetter together with Fakhri Hamad joined the glamorous “Cinema for Peace Gala” at the Berlinale film festival on February 15th. So we took the opportunity to beat the big drum for “Cinema Jenin” the day after in the Chamäleon Varieté. First being a little worried about how many of the invited guests would come, then happy to see the auditorium almost bursting at the seams. Celebrities from the film business dropped in as well as company representatives and politicians, all curious to hear more about our project. In particular we were pleased about the presence of some representatives of the Israeli embassy.

Fakhri flew in directly from Jenin. Together with Marcus Vetter he explained the idea behind the project and what we reached so far. As our special guest on stage we could welcome Martin Kobler. Previously head of the “Directorate-General for Culture and Communication” in the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs he was one of our main supporters. Thank you so much and good luck for your new job as the deputy head of the UN mission in Afghanistan!

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