Stroud Film Festival - Freedom to Run
- Paul Harper
- Mar 18
- 2 min read
Freedom to Run which will be shown as part of the Stroud Film Festival on March 23rd at The Trinity Rooms, is a feature length documentary that follows Palestinian running group ‘Right to Movement’ (RTM) and a group from Glasgow as they train for and run, both the Palestine and Edinburgh marathons. On the same day as the the screening we also invite you to a community run where the two of the runners and filmmakers will take part.
Whilst in Palestine, the Scottish runners learn about the impact of the restrictions that define everyday life, and that something as universal as running can be fraught with difficulty. Palestinians in the West Bank cannot travel far without being stopped by Israeli restrictions. These restrictions are all part of the struggle of daily life. They include checkpoints and demands for permits, as well as the wall that surrounds the occupied territories, separates Palestinian communities, and prevents farmers from accessing their lands. They mean that for the majority of Palestinians, Jerusalem is a place they can only dream of visiting, despite its importance for both Muslims and Christians.
Palestine is one of the most restricted places in the world. From the daily commute to the choice of a partner, there is no aspect of life where Palestinians do not have to work around Israeli controls. The marathon demonstrates the issue perfectly. A normal marathon route is 42km, but due to the restrictions, it is not possible to move more than 10km without being stopped, and completing the marathon requires running on the same road four times. The route begins at the Church of the Nativity, continues past the infamous wall, and through Aida and Dheisheh refugee camps.
Freedom to Run, co-directed and co-produced by Cairsti Russell and Stephen Sheriff and made in collaboration with Camcorder Guerrillas, a collective of activist filmmakers based in Glasgow, was influenced by Cairsti’s PhD research on news reporting of Israel and Palestine, and audiences’ understanding of what they see and hear. This research showed that many people struggle to identify with the human face of Palestine. Since her first trip to Palestine in 2012, she had been convinced that if people visit and see the reality for themselves, they can’t help but be moved by the situation there.
You can read the full article in March's issue of Good on Paper
The Q&A panel for the screening on March 23rd facilitated by Paul Harper
Dr Cairsti Russell, co-director and producer
Stephen Sheriff, co-director and producer
Woodrow (Woody) Morris, Cameraman and marathon runner
Diala Isid, Co-founder/leader at Right to Movement Palestine
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