Input and discussion between Students from Gerrit Rietveld Academie and Sandberg Institute in Amsterdam and Students for Palestine in Zürich.

Dear students, staff and passerby’s of Rietveld Academie and Sandberg Instituut! JOIN US FOR A DAY OF ACTION IN THE ACTION STAIRS!

WELCOME EVERYBODY to the Introduction day next tuesday in the Action Stairs (Formerly known as the Theory Stairs). We want to meet new students, old students, teachers, staff and whoever might be interested. We will introduce some of the work that has been done and towards where we are heading -with hopes of creating concersations about what our art academy -actually- is. The genocide in Gaza soon pass one year, and the lethal intensity of Israels occupation in the West Bank intensifies. We need to gather and take action!

You are invited to the fundraiser launch of the publication with submissions collected at the gra.si.students4palestine table during the last BYOB fair.

JOIN US for collective banner making from 10am on May 15! We protest at 2pm and join the “discussion table” together at 3pm

Thought-provoking documentary on war propaganda: how governments manipulate the facts and how most media let them get away with it. WWI, Vietnam War, post-2001 Afghanistan, post-2003 Iraq, Palestine: a historical account of PR, embedded journalism, lies and cover-ups, but also of courageous journalists who disclose the truth. (imdb)

Filmmaker, author and journalist Nagieb Khaja is giving a lecture about covering wars and conflicts the 22nd of April at Gerrit Rietveld Academie, theory stairs 11:00 AM.

This highly kinetic tableaux of uprooted sights and sounds works most earnestly to expose the racial biases concealed in familiar images. Relying on valuable snippets from feature films such as “Exodus”, “Lawrence of Arabia”, “Black Sunday”, “Little Drummer Girl”, and network news shows, the filmmakers have constructed an oddly wry narrative, mimicking the history of Mid East politics. (imdb)

On Friday 12th of April from 12pm onwards the gra.si.students4palestine assembly is organising a Fundraiser for Palestine. All profits generated will go directly to Sara Kanoa and her family to cross Rafah (gofundme).

When his fourth son, Gibreel, is born, Emad, a Palestinian villager, gets his first camera. In his village, Bil’in, a separation barrier is being built and the villagers start to resist this decision. For more than five years, Emad films the struggle, which is led by two of his best friends, alongside filming how Gibreel grows. Very soon it affects his family and his own life. Daily arrests and night raids scare his family; his friends, brothers and himself are either shot or arrested. One camera after another is shot at or smashed. Each of the 5 cameras tells part of his story. (imdb)

Israel is central to the political and cultural life of the American Jewish community. But it has also become a deeply divisive subject, as painful cracks have emerged within the Jewish community over the Israel-Palestine conflict, inspiring argument, protest and even censorship. ISRAELISM explores the past, present and future of the relationship between American Jews and Israel. Dozens of American Jewish thinkers, community leaders and activists share stories of falling in love with Israel, and competing visions for a Jewish future, while Israelis and Palestinians describe how their lives are affected by the decisions of a community half a world away. Israelism asks how and why Israel became the cornerstone of American Judaism, what the consequences have been, and what will happen as divisions continue grow. (Imdb)

This time we will watch three shorts by Palestinian film makers:
MOONSCAPE (2020) by Mona Benyamin
YOUR FATHER WAS BORN 100 YEARS AGO, AND SO WAS THE NAKBA (2017) by Razan Al Salah
THE SILENT PROTEST: JERUSALEM 1929 (2019) by Mahasen Nasser-Eldin

This debut feature film by journalist Abby Martin began while reporting in Palestine, where she was denied entry into Gaza by the Israeli government on the accusation she was a “propagandist.” So Abby connected with a team of journalists in Gaza to produce the film through the blockaded border. This collaboration shows you Gaza’s protest movement like you’ve never seen before. Filmed during the height of the Great March Of Return protests, it features riveting exclusive footage of demonstrations. The documentary tells the story of Gaza past and present, showing rare archival footage that explains the history never acknowledged by mass media. You hear from victims of the ongoing massacre, including journalists, medics and the family of internationally-acclaimed paramedic, Razan al-Najjar. At its core, ‘Gaza Fights For Freedom’ is a thorough indictment of the Israeli military for war crimes, and a stunning cinematic portrayal of Palestinians’ heroic resistance. (Abby Martin)

Join the weekly assembly in solidarity with Palestine on Tuesdays from 17:00 at the theory stairs. We will reflect upon the previous semester and visualise how we want to structure our assemblies this semester. All ideas and input is welcome and much appreciated!