Songe

Palestine, France, Sweden | 2025 | 79min | fiction, drama Sami’s homing pigeon has escaped. Convinced that the bird has returned to where it was born, the 12-year-old boy persuades his uncle and cousin to accompany him on a journey that begins in a refugee camp in the West Bank and takes them through Bethlehem, Jerusalem’s Old City, and Haifa. Along the way, they meet other Palestinians who share their experiences, perceptions, and aspirations. Through this journey, the absurdity and ingenuity of their daily lives are revealed. Rashid Masharawi is a Palestinian filmmaker, screenwriter, and producer, born in 1962 in the Shati refugee camp in Gaza. Coming from a refugee family, he grew up in a context of conflict and occupation, which has deeply influenced his cinematic work. Masharawi is particularly interested in themes of identity, exile, and the living conditions of Palestinians. He was the first filmmaker to have a film selected under the Palestinian banner at the Cannes Film Festival. Masharawi began his career in the 1990s and gained recognition with films such as Curfew (Critics’ Week, Cannes Film Festival, 1993), Haïfa (Un Certain Regard, Cannes Film Festival, 1996), as well as A Ticket to Jerusalem (2002), Waiting (2005), and Laila’s Birthday (2008), which received numerous international awards. His body of work, alternating between documentaries and fiction, reflects the irony of Palestinian daily life while exploring political and social issues with great sensitivity. Today, his films are studied in many universities around the world.