As we witness the world engulfed by preventable, human-made catastrophe––from Palestine to Sudan to Northern Minnesota––we draw each other near and we work together to rebuild a “shared world.” Drawing inspiration from Naomi Shihab Nye’s poem “Gate A-4,” we take this line as our charge for this year’s Twin Cities Arab Film Festival, which will present a selection of films that encourage us to gather more inclusively, to build more intentionally, to unite more readily, and to see more clearly.
The films in the festival remind us to value one another and to imagine relationships that extend beyond human-made boundaries, like race, nation, gender, species, and family. This year’s lineup visualizes and enacts solidarity––politically, spiritually, and relationally––and the films envision a shared world, where our connections become assets and tools to reshape our values and reimagine our futures together.