The story is a true story from 2008. But the movie is from 2026.
A German NGO decides to reopen the cinema of Jenin, the West Bank# city that has been at the centre of the Second Intifada#, which has just come to a close. If it weren’t for Hussein Darby, its longtime operator, it would never be possible. The projector is film-based and runs on coal. And he is the only one who knows how it works. But in the end, he won’t even get a thank you. On the day of the first show, he will be all alone in a corner, in the shadows. In the stalls, in front of the screen, only foreigners.
Only those from the thousand West Bank NGOs.
And tomorrow, from the thousand Gaza NGOs.
They are already jostling for their share of the reconstruction funds.
Another true story
Marcus Vetter is the director of the award-winning The Heart of Jenin, which tells the story, another true story, of Ismail Khatib, a Palestinian who, when his son is killed in an IDF raid, donates his organs: saving the lives of six Israeli children. While shooting the movie, Marcus Vetter stumbles upon the cinema, which is no longer in use, partly because of the Intifada, and partly because the Islamists of Hamas are stronger than ever, and oppose film, theatre, music, radio, and any potential means of Western influence, and he sets up an NGO to reopen it. An NGO of Germans who don’t speak a word of Arabic, and who spend an insane amount of money to renovate the cinema, continually asking for, and obtaining, funding until the very end. And most importantly, those who have no idea whatsoever how to fix the projector. They say they have more advanced technology, that they are experts, and that they are more organised. They say they will modernise the cinema, teach youths the trade, but without Hussein Darby, they can’t even turn on the lights. Hussein Darby will recover the lenses, lamps, reels, and carbon from other abandoned cinemas and repair everything. In exchange for the promise of getting back his job as an operator. His job for 43 years.
Not only will he not get a thank you. He won’t get a cent.
He will get nothing but humiliation.
At every objection, he is silenced. Even though, at every objection, he is actually right. Every piece must be assembled as he says. But Franz, the NGO manager, always reacts the same way: «Don’t interfere.» Don’t get in the way.
«They know better,» he says, pointing to the others at the NGO.
«They are professionals.»
Because a degree in cinema, right?, is worth more than 43 years of experience.
A European: worth more than an Arab.
And it goes without saying: Franz and the others work for a salary.
Certainly not for the promise of a job.
And now, with the reconstruction of Gaza, the circus is about to begin again.
«The Third Occupation»
The renovation of the cinema of Jenin was just one of the countless projects of the countless NGOs that, since the Oslo Accords#, have spread unchecked, with vague objectives, even more ambiguous results, and zero transparency. Nicknamed by Palestinians: «The Third Occupation» – after Israel’s and the Palestinian Authority’s, because for NGOs, they are only labour. Serving projects planned elsewhere. But that’s what no one talks of. Actually, what is being talked of is the opposite, because NGOs and the press are one system, or rather, one bubble, the expat bubble: we live together, we hang out together, we share houses, cars, drivers, translators – with NGOs often paying journalists to report on their projects: it is called communication, and passed off as journalism, but in truth, it is just advertising. Marcus Vetter would later make another award-winning movie from this story: Cinema Jenin.
This is the same story, but viewed from the perspective of the Palestinians.
From those the NGOs claim to support.
Or more precisely: from those they claim to cooperate with. Because colonialism is over, isn’t it? And now it is all about mutual learning, mutual exchange about being on equal terms. Even with the Palestinians, the Germans don’t even speak. Literally. With Hussein Darby, the dialogue is reduced to the essential. «Fantastic». «Super fantastic». «Good». And the inevitable: «Habibi». My darling.
Magic words
Habibi, Hummus, Yalla. The three magic words expats repeat to pretend to be living among the Palestinians.
Because in reality, they live just among themselves.
And now, with the reconstruction of Gaza, the circus is about to begin again.
In the coming years, a thousand more Cinemas Jenin will be filmed and awarded.
And a thousand more Habibi Husseins.
Meanwhile, the cinema of Jenin has already been demolished and replaced by a mall.
