Synopsis

A new generation slings rhymes instead of rocks as Palestinian rappers form alternative voices of resistance within the Israeli-Palestinian struggle. Interweaving multiple stories of young Palestinians in Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank, filmmaker Jackie Reem Salloum spotlights a vibrant hip hop scene as emerging artists discover rap and employ it as a means to surmount age-old schisms deepened by occupation and poverty. The director initially got an idea of this film when she heard Palestinian hip hop by an Israeli artist in 2002 on the radio. Having Palestinian and Syrian roots herself, director Jackie Reem Salloum had to jump through many hoops for five years to get this film finished. For many times her film crews have been turned away at the airport and, with no explanation, been forbidden by the Israeli government from returning. She also has had her tapes taken away before being allowed onto her flight back to the States from Gaza. To the question if she encountered many difficulties while shooting in Palestine, she answers “Difficulties have defined the making of this film.” This pop-infused work focusing on challenging the stereotypes of Arabs in the media is the first documentary feature of the director and was world premiered in Sundance Film Festival. This film also is the basis of a youth education program on Palestine and Israel at the moment.

Director

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  Jackie Reem Salloum
  

  Jackie Reem Salloum is a New York based artist and filmmaker. Drawing on her Palestinian and Syrian roots, her pop-infused work focuses on challenging the stereotypes of Arabs in the media. After receiving her MFA from New York University, she began directing her first feature length documentary Slingshot Hip Hop. It made its premiere at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival-Documentary Competition.

Credits

• Director  Jackie Reem Salloum
• Producer  Jacqueline Salloum, Rumzi Araj, Waleed Zaiter
• Editor  Waleed Zaiter

Production Company & Distributor

• Production Company & Distributor  Fresh Booza Productions
• Address  226 10th St. #3, Brooklyn, NY 11215, New York, USA
• Tel  1 917 627 0988
• Email  freshbooza@gmail.com