Documentary 'Spaces of Exception' Explores Parallels Between Palestinian Refugee Camps and Native American Reservations
In 2019, filmmakers Matt Peterson and Malek Rasamny finalized their documentary titled 'Spaces of Exception,' which is part of the ongoing project 'The Native and the Refugee' that commenced filming in 2014. This film delves into Palestinian refugee camps located in the West Bank and Lebanon, as well as Native American reservations across Arizona, New Mexico, New York, and South Dakota, utilizing Giorgio Agamben's concept of 'state of exception.' It features personal community narratives, building on previous shorts such as 'We Love Being Lakota' (2015) and 'Bethlehem's Walls' (2015). The documentary will be showcased internationally in January and February 2024, with screenings in Philadelphia on January 13 and London on January 18. The project's framework is influenced by historian Robin D. G. Kelley's 2019 article on transnational solidarity.
Key facts
- 'Spaces of Exception' is a 2019 feature-length documentary by Matt Peterson and Malek Rasamny
- The film is part of the long-term project 'The Native and the Refugee' filmed between 2014-2017
- It examines Palestinian refugee camps in the West Bank and Lebanon and Native American reservations in Arizona, New Mexico, New York, and South Dakota
- The film uses Giorgio Agamben's 'state of exception' concept to analyze these spaces
- Screenings occur in Philadelphia (January 13), London (January 18), New York (January 26), and Leuven, Belgium (February 9) in 2024
- A Lakota interviewee describes connection to Palestinians as 'a spiritual connection'
- Navajo interviewee notes their language has no word for relocation, which 'means to disappear'
- Historian Robin D. G. Kelley's 2019 article informs the project's solidarity approach
Entities
Artists
- Matt Peterson
- Malek Rasamny
- Dina Ramadan
- Robin D. G. Kelley
- Giorgio Agamben
Institutions
- Bard College
- Center for Curatorial Studies
- SOAS
- The New School
- STUK CinemaZED
- ArtReview
Locations
- West Bank
- Lebanon
- Arizona
- New Mexico
- New York
- South Dakota
- Philadelphia
- London
- United Kingdom
- Leuven
- Belgium
- Navajo Nation