At the 82nd Venice Film Festival, “Qui vit encore” emerged as a poignant documentary capturing the raw stories of Gaza’s refugees. Directed by Nicolas Wadimoff, the film offers an intimate glimpse into the lives of nine survivors who recount their experiences amid ongoing conflict. One of them is Mahmoud Jouda, who shares with FRED his tragic experience of displacement. The director’s innovative approach, using a symbolic map of Gaza drawn on a black felt table, serves as a powerful visual device to evoke the themes of survival, displacement, and memory.
Wadimoff’s deep connection to Gaza is evident in his detailed storytelling process. He explains that giving time to the voices and testimonies of the refugees was central to his documentary. “I wanted the audience to feel what I felt when I heard these stories,” he says, emphasizing the emotional intensity that inspired the film.
Plot
A map of Gaza, its cities, camps and neighborhoods. White paint on a black floor. In these roughly drawn outlines, nine refugees who were able to escape hell tell their stories. Their previous lives, their buried dreams, the danger, the rubble, the loss of their dear ones. Oppressed, hindered existences, but not yet reduced to ashes, not yet totally plunged into oblivion and darkness. By sharing their stories, the protagonists of Who Is Still Alive attempt to reconnect with themselves, to stop being ghosts. And, perhaps, come back to life.
https://www.giornatedegliautori.com/en/program/qui-vit-encore-eng/