Film director Leila Sansour returns to Bethlehem to make a film about her hometown, soon to be encircled by a giant illegal wall of concrete. She left the city as a teenager thinking it was too small and provincial and never wanted to return but this time, she is making an exception. Armed with her camera and a dilapidated family car that keeps breaking down, Leila plans to make an epic film about a legendary town in crisis but just a few months into filming her life (and the film) take an unexpected turn when cousin Carol, Leila’s last relative in town, persuades her to start a campaign to save the city.

Spanning seven momentous years, Open Bethlehem reveals a city of astonishing beauty and political strife under occupation, blending rare archive material with personal video-journals. We are delighted to welcome Leila Sansour to today’s screening – she will join us for a Q&A after the film.

“One of the most remarkable and moving documentaries I have seen about this unreported story. The tragedy of the Palestinians encapsulated in the life of one family and one town – Bethlehem. See the film, then go to Bethlehem and see for yourself.” John Snow

Ticket prices: £8.00 full / £6.50 concessions.

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