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Naila and the Uprising

When a nation-wide uprising breaks out in 1987, a woman in Gaza must make a choice between love, family, and freedom. Naila and the Uprising chronicles the remarkable journey of Naila Ayesh whose story weaves through the most vibrant, nonviolent mobilization in Palestinian history — the First Intifada in the late 1980s.

Director: Julia Bacha
Year: 2017
Time: 76 min

 Naila and the Uprising
(2017) on IMDb

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Donate to Just Vision, the organization behind NAILA AND THE UPRISING whose goal is to increase the power and reach of Palestinians and Israelis working to end the occupation and build a future of freedom, dignity and equality for all. Stay informed.

Read Local Call, a Hebrew news site advancing civic awareness and activism aimed at ending the occupation and fostering values of pluralism and equality (Local Call can be read in English at +972).

Support groups like Inclusive Security, whose mission is to increase the participation of all stakeholders—particularly women—in preventing, resolving, and rebuilding after deadly conflicts.

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Related Articles and Resources

The Radical Women at the Heart of Palestine’s First Intifada

“An illuminating new documentary, ‘Naila and the Uprising,’ spotlights the female activists who held up a movement—and fought for both Palestinian liberation and gender equality.”

Read the article from The Daily Beast.

It’s Time To Admit The First Intifada Was Nonviolent – And Led By Women

“Most surprising — and most ignored — is the fact that women made up the backbone of the uprising.”

Read more on Forward.

Children of the Palestinian intifada: The lost generation

“They are the children of the second intifada that began in 2000, growing up in a territory riven by infighting, seared by violence, occupied by Israel, largely cut off from the world and segmented up by barriers and checkpoints.

To hear these young people talk is to listen in on budding nihilism and a loss of hope.”

Continue reading on The New York Times.

Palestine’s First Intifada Is Still a Model for Grassroots Resistance

“Julia Bacha’s new film, Naila and the Uprising, examines the lesser-told stories of the intifada’s fierce female activists.”

Read the article from The Nation.

Palestinian says women’s rights forgotten in Gaza

“Activist Naila Ayesh says political and economic upheaval in the territory has forced women to give priority to more immediate needs, such as finding work and providing for their families.”

Read the Q&A on The Los Angeles Times.

Israel-Palestine: the real reason there’s still no peace

“The possibility of a lasting deal seems as far away as ever – and the history of failed negotiations suggests it’s largely because Israel prefers the status quo.”

Continue reading on The Guardian.

DOC NYC 2017 Women Directors: Meet Julia Bacha — “Naila and the Uprising”

“One thing that’s jumped out at me while making films in Palestine and Israel is that the media often overlooks nonviolent organizing, even when it makes up the bulk of organizing. Even more so, women who stand at the frontlines are often made invisible in media narratives and historical accounts.”

Continue reading on Women and Hollywood.

How women wage conflict without violence 

“Filmmaker Julia Bacha shares stories of effective nonviolent resistance, including eye-opening research on the crucial leadership role that women play.”

Watch the Ted Talk.

What were the intifadas?

“The intifadas were two Palestinian uprisings against Israel, the first in the late 1980s and the second in the early 2000s. The intifadas had a dramatic effect on Israeli-Palestinian relations; the second, in particular, is widely seen as marking the end of the 1990s era negotiating process and ushering in a new, darker era in Israeli-Palestinian relations.”

Learn more on Vox.

Key Maps Outlining the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Explore the conflict by comparing maps of the region over time
from  BBC News.

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