Human Animals

With: Mahmoud Hamzeh Beshtawi and Liam Monzer Alzafari

Reclamation and Empowerment: In embracing the term 'Human animal,' originally coined by an IOF minister, we, as two Palestinians, embark on a transformative journey to seize control of a historically weaponized expression. This term, deployed as a dehumanising tool, has served as a pretext for the oppressive forces to justify the violence inflicted upon the Palestinian body. This strategic dehumanisation is not novel; its historical roots run deep within the occupation's textbook.

Our objective transcends a mere linguistic shift; it is a profound endeavour to strip the word of its derogatory connotations and serve it as a reminder for the silent “civilised humanity”, we infuse it with newfound power — a power that resonates with empowerment, solidarity, and a shared sense of endearment within our resilient that is loud and clear in the Palestinian heritage. We assert that 'human animals' are not mere statistics; rather, they are storytellers of their own unique narratives.

By redefining this term, we aim to dismantle its oppressive history with its variation and reconstruct it as a vehicle for our collective narrative, one that emphasises our shared humanity. In doing so, we reclaim our agency as individuals, resisting reduction to mere numbers and asserting our role as architects of our stories and champions of a dignified existence."

About:

In the name of the most Merciful, the Compassionate. At times of individual inflation, bios are very valid hence not everyone is the hero of their own story, but we try, and the number of our attempts are:

8630756 MAHMOUD HAMZEH BESHTAWI from occupied Akka is a filmmaker and multidisciplinary artist based in Brussels.

5614660 LIAM MONZER ALZAFARI from occupied Haifa is a scenographer based in Oslo.

The event is part of Motforestillinger på HUMAN 24: I LOVE GAZA–program, and is organized in collaboration with Vega Scene and HUMAN International Documentary Filmfestival 4.–10. mars 2024.

Supported by Fritt Ord and Kulturrådet.

Motforestillinger har samarbeidet med HUMAN internasjonale dokumentarfilmfestival og Vega Scene om Palestina-program siden 2019.
I 2024 rettes fokus mot Gaza, med et nært blikk på kunstens betydning under et pågående folkemord.