In November 2023, Gaza-born Palestinian director Rashid Masharawi (Passing Dreams [PFF#25], Falastine Stereo, Leila’s Birthday) founded the Masharawi Fund to support films and filmmakers in Gaza. From Ground Zero, their first project, gave displaced artists—survivors of Israel’s assault—a platform for personal expression. The collection features 22 short films, spanning documentary, drama, stop-motion, and experimental video art.

These films offer crucial context, countering the gruesome livestreams seen globally. Through allegory and creativity, filmmakers reflect on survival under bombardment. Khamis Masharawi’s Soft Skin shows orphaned children in an art therapy workshop, while Nidal Damo’s Everything is Fine follows a comedian who finds his venue destroyed after a massacre. Ahmed Hassouna’s Sorry Cinema explores a filmmaker’s fractured relationship with the art form.

From Ground Zero provides an urgent response to catastrophe and a powerful portrait of Gaza’s resilient artistic community.