Sifting through dozens of movies made between 1960 and 1990, which range from Chuck Norris action flicks to Israeli musicals, filmmaker Kamal Aljafari resurrects memories of the Jaffa he grew up in. All protagonists are removed from the original footage, leaving the people who appear in the margins and an empty setting formed by the town - once the cultural and trade centre of Palestine which was changed beyond recognition in the course of the 1948 war. This innovative filmmaking technique turns lost memories into cinematic poetry.

“… From the footage of dozens of films I have excavated a whole community and recreated the city. Though out-of-focus, half-glimpsed, I have recognized childhood friends, old people I used to say good evening to as a boy; my uncle. I erased the actors, I photographed the backgrounds and the edges; and made the passersby the main characters of this film. In my film, I find my way from the sea, like in a dream. I walk everywhere, sometimes hesitant and sometimes lost. I wander through the city; I wander through the memories. I film everything I encounter because I know it no longer exists. I return to a lost time.” – Kamal Aljafari

This screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Kamal Aljafari, hosted by Director of Forensic Architecture, Eyal Weizman.

Kamal Aljafari will also be presenting a masterclass on his work and creative processes at SOAS, 3pm on Sunday 18th November. To find out more and register for this free masterclass click here.