AISHA’S STORY

"Food is the most precious part of Palestinian heritage.” Aisha Azzam and her husband started their family grain mill in Baqa’a refugee camp, Jordan, 35 years ago. She treasures her role in safeguarding culture by milling the grains and herbs essential to Palestinian cuisine. Through food, Aisha traces the story of Palestinian displacement and rebuilding family and community in a refugee camp. Harvesting, milling, cooking, and feasts ground the film’s arc of displacement, longing, steadfastness and resistance. In Aisha’s words, “Food is what keeps us together as Palestinians."

THE FILMMAKER

Elizabeth Vibert is a historian at the University of Victoria, writer, and filmmaker whose work focuses on grassroots efforts toward food justice in contexts of poverty, colonial inequities, and climate crisis. Her previous documentary, The Thinking Garden, convinced her of the power of film to share stories of ordinary women doing extraordinary things in the face of such challenges.

AWARDS AND FESTIVALS

Audience Award for Mid-Length Documentary – Docs International Documentary Film
Special Mention, Vancouver Film Studios Award – DOXA Documentary Film Festival, Canada

Official selections at the following to date:
Amman International Film Festival
Jerusalem Arab Film Festival
International Women’s Film Festival, Morocco
Toronto Palestine Film Festival
Rocky Mountain Women’s Film Festival, USA
Gaza International Festival for Women’s Cinema, Palestine
TRT International Documentary Awards Festival, Istanbul, Turkey
Bristol Palestine Film Festival, UK