In February 2021, we brought 15 young Israelis, Palestinians and Brits together for a virtual filmmaking workshop. Over five sessions, participants planned, shot and edited their own short films using the equipment they had at home, such as mobile phones and homemade tripods. The aim of the project was to empower participants to express themselves in a creative and innovative way and provide a collaborative, safe space for participants to explore, discuss and share ideas with people they wouldn’t normally get a chance to meet. 

Participants were tasked with making a film about their own identity through using one of the five senses. Three participants from each country (Palestine, Israel and the UK) picked one of the five senses; touch, sight, hearing, smell and taste. Which part of their identity they chose to explore in their films was completely up to the participants themselves. The resulting films covered a wide range of topics, from lockdown isolation, sexual harassment, to childhood memories, and food. 

The workshop was led by two professional filmmakers from South London based film production company Chocolate Films, as well as Encompass facilitators from Israel, Palestine and the UK. 

You can watch the films created during the ‘Sense of Identity’ workshop here: https://bit.ly/ASenseOfIdentity

“I loved the concept, the facilitators professional level and their attentiveness and care for each participant + their personal connection to the project and its importance to them.” – workshop participant 

“(The facilitators) encouraged me to practice more and they gave brilliant ideas.” – workshop participant 

“I feel more confident in my skills and will be more comfortable creating videos in the future.” – workshop participant