2 minute read
Introducing “So Close Yet So Far
from Falastin Volume 5 Issue 1
by paccusa
In Palestine, distance is measured not just in kilometers, but in the insurmountable apartheid laws, bureaucracy, and infrastructure that keep so many Palestinians from a normal life in their own homeland.
On August 29, Visualizing Palestine published “So Close Yet So Far”, a new series of short animations that tell the stories of five Palestinian families separated by Israeli policy: Amani and Adnan, Ahmad and Rokaya, Hiba and her triplets, Samaher and Yasser, and Salma and Moussa.
These families’ circumstances may seem too absurd, bizarre, and surreal to be true. But they are real -life stories, as documented by human rights groups and reported by journalists. Understanding what these five families have experienced is key to understanding the broader system of Israeli apartheid, and the injustices that are perpetrated by it.
Amani and Adnan: So Close Yet So Far
Amani, from Gaza city, and Adnan, from AlArrob, are married and have 5 children. This is the story of how Israeli policy divided their family.
After years of living in Al-Arrob, Amani took the children to visit her parents in Gaza. On their way back home, Israeli authorities denied them a permit to leave Gaza.
Just 65 km now stand between Amani and Adnan, but they haven’t seen each other for 4 years.
65 km. That’s about the distance between Amsterdam and the Hague. On public transport in the Netherlands, you could complete the trip in less than 45 minutes.
But for Amani, 65 km may as well be a trip to the moon. She has submitted 20 permit requests to reunite the family, and Israeli authorities have not granted a single one.
Amani says: "My husband is in one city and the children and I are in another...The children cry and want to go to their father, and I’m emotionally drained because of the distance from my husband and my home."
Like so many Palestinian families, Amani and Adnan are so close, yet so far.
Where You Can Watch So Close Yet So Far
All five films are available for free, in English and Arabic, on Vimeo.
In English: http://bit.ly/VPfilm-AR
In Arabic: http://bit.ly/VPfilm-EN
Visualizing Palestine’s 2020 Membership Drive
Visualizing Palestine’s data-led, visual storytelling for justice is made possible by VP Members ––people like you. VP Members make a recurring (monthly or annual) contribution to VP, of any amount. In 2020, VP created 5 short films, 2 interactives, and 13 infographics, and updated 2 ongoing interactive projects that were used around the world by educators, activists, and students.
Learn more about VP Membership: https://visualizingpalestine.org/membership
