A LEGACY IN MOTION: ALA AL-ZENATI RESPONDS TO LAMEES ALMAKKAWY’S DANCING PALESTINE

Dancing Palestine is a 37-minute documentary that explores the deep cultural resilience embodied in the traditional Palestinian dance, dabke. The film poignantly captures how this dance has transcended its origins to become a powerful form of resistance and a vessel for collective memory among Palestinians, who face not only land occupation but also continuous socio-political challenges and threats of cultural erasure.

The documentary opens by shedding light on the scarcity of accessible Palestinian archival materials. Many of these archives have been destroyed, hidden, or remain inaccessible, an attempt to erase the evidence of Palestinian existence on their land. This is one of the major challenges in finding neutral archives that depict Palestinians simply living their lives, as noted by the director, Lamees Almakkawy. However, the film also highlights the efforts of incredible communities who are working to make their personal family archives available to the public. These efforts aim to counter the narrative that Palestine never existed, or that Palestinians lacked a rich culture.

As the camera pans across several archival images that vividly depict the cultural memory of Palestine, the narrator introduces the roots of dabke. Originally a communal dance among workers and communities before the Nakba, dabke has evolved into a cultural symbol that embodies Palestinian heritage and has become closely associated with resistance, particularly after the Nakba. Almakkawy carefully selected these images to ensure they depicted Palestinians in their natural state, outside the context of occupation, to show them as a standalone identity. This approach was crucial to Almakkawy, who sought to tell the story of Palestinians living their lives, celebrating their culture, and preserving their identity through dance.

The director masterfully blends archival footage of Palestinian families simply living their lives with intimate interviews of dabke dancers. These dancers emphasize that dabke has grown beyond its role as a traditional dance, now serving as a means of cultural preservation and resistance—a form of archiving in itself. When asked about the inspiration behind Dancing Palestine, Almakkawy explained:

“I was curious about the dance because I knew there was a political undertone to it. You can tell by the lyrics of the songs and the movements in the dance. I wanted to understand the history behind the dance, why it is significant to Palestinians, and why they perform it everywhere. This led me to start my research, and in general, my work focuses on performance, identity, and collective memory. Dabke was the perfect combination of all these elements.”

To ensure authenticity in representing Palestinian experiences, Almakkawy immersed herself in various forms of Palestinian storytelling. She attended performances, exhibitions, and shows, listening closely to how Palestinians narrate their own history. This deep engagement with Palestinian voices was fundamental to her creative process, allowing her to build the documentary’s narrative from a place of respect and understanding. Almakkawy conducted conversations with dabke dancers, academics, and researchers, which served as the backbone of the film. From these interviews, she carefully extracted parts that formed the foundation of the documentary, aligning them with archival materials that reflected the Palestinian narrative.

In a particularly striking segment, the documentary showcases dabke dancers in the diaspora, capturing them as they choreograph new dances. Almakkawy felt it was essential to not only show the performances but also the creative process behind them—the careful consideration of each movement, and the stories these movements tell. By filming the dancers as they create, the documentary provides a window into how dabke continues to evolve as a living tradition, constantly adapting to new contexts while remaining rooted in the past.

The selection of archival images was a meticulous process. Almakkawy sought images that would best support the narrative she wanted to convey—one that depicted Palestinians as more than victims of occupation. She wanted to avoid reinforcing the common narrative of Palestinians as solely defined by their struggles. Instead, she aimed to empower them by showing their vibrant cultural life, their resilience, and their deep love for life. The archival images chosen for the film reflect this approach, depicting Palestinians celebrating, working, and living life to the fullest, often in the face of adversity.

Almakkawy’s deliberate choices in both the archival material and the documentary’s structure align with her overarching message: Palestinians should not be victimized. She emphasized that throughout the filmmaking process, she was mindful of avoiding the typical narrative that tends to victimize Palestinians. “I think a lot of times when you see stories about Palestine, they tend to follow a similar narrative, one that often results in victimizing Palestinians,” she noted. “I didn’t want to victimize them—I wanted to empower them. I don’t think Palestinians want our pity; they want us to act so that they won’t disappear. The biggest takeaway from this film is that Palestinians just want to live their lives. They have a deep love of life, and they insist on living it. We just need to allow them to live.”

The documentary effectively conveys this message, illustrating how dabke has become a tool not just for cultural preservation but also for asserting identity and resisting erasure. Through its careful combination of archival images, interviews, and dance performances, Dancing Palestine tells a story of resilience, creativity, and the enduring spirit of a people determined to preserve their heritage and identity against all odds.

By the film’s conclusion, viewers are left with a profound understanding of how dabke embodies the Palestinian struggle and their unwavering determination to maintain their culture. Almakkawy’s vision for Dancing Palestine is clear: to portray Palestinians as vibrant, resilient people who refuse to be defined by their circumstances. Through dabke, they assert their existence, their history, and their right to live and thrive on their own terms.

Ultimately, Dancing Palestine serves as a testament to the power of art as a form of resistance and the importance of cultural preservation in the face of ongoing challenges. Almakkawy’s documentary is not just a film about a dance; it is a powerful statement on the resilience of the Palestinian people and their unyielding commitment to preserving their identity and heritage for future generations.

GUEST CURATOR’S BIO

Ala Al Zenati is a Palestinian activist and founder of a community called Jadeela Heritage, which is dedicated to preserving and celebrating Palestinian culture. She focuses on teaching younger generations about the stories and songs passed down from her grandparents, fostering a deeper connection to their heritage.