On 23 October 2021, the national march and rally will gather outside Lannemezan prison in France once again, to demand the release of Georges Ibrahim Abdallah, the longest-held political prisoner in Europe. In the month prior to the march — which marks the 37th anniversary of Abdallah’s arrest — please join in and organize actions to join the call for his freedom! One action you can take, anywhere in the world, is to organize a public screening of the new and acclaimed film, “Fedayin.”
Georges Abdallah is a Lebanese struggler for Palestine who has been imprisoned since 1984, despite being eligible for release since 1999, for his involvement in the struggle for the liberation of Palestine — and Lebanon — from Zionist occupation.
“Fedayin,” the new film from Vacarme(s) Films in France, tells the story of George’s life in the struggle. Just announced as a selection for the 2021 Chicago Palestine Film Festival, the documentary traces the life of Georges Abdallah, Lebanese Arab Communist and struggler for Palestine and one of the longest-held political prisoners in Europe. It moves from the Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon where his political consciousness was forged to the international movement to demand his liberation from French prisons.
The film includes a number of interviews, including with Palestinian leftist writer and activist Khaled Barakat; Samidoun international coordinator Charlotte Kates; Samidoun Europe coordinator Mohammed Khatib; former political prisoners Jean-Marc Rouillan and Bertrand Sassoye; lawyer Jean-Louis Chalanset; Georges Abdallah’s brothers Robert and Maurice Abdallah; and advocate for Georges Abdallah’s liberation Suzanne Le Manceau, among others.
Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network urges people and organizations around the world to organize screenings of “Fedayin” in the coming month and beyond. This film has an important role to play in highlighting Georges Abdallah’s case to international audiences and helping to break down the walls of injustice that continue to keep him imprisoned in France, away from his homeland Lebanon.
The film is available with appropriate subtitles in French, Arabic, English, German, Italian, Catalan and Castilian Spanish.
Check out the list of screenings below and organize your own. If you want to show Fedayin in your area, email us at samidoun@samidoun.net or contact the directors at vacarmesfilms@gmail.com. We will help you to get your screening organized, and the directors are available to attend your events in person or to join your in-person events via video link.
Upcoming screenings of Fedayin (check the directors’ site for changes and updates)
Paris (75) · Friday September 24 at 6.30 pm
Screening organized by the Unitary Campaign for the Liberation of Georges Abdallah, the UL CGT of the 18th arrondissement and the Manouchian Circle with the presence of Saïd Bouamama, sociologist and author of “The Georges Ibrahim Abdallah Affair”.
Union Locale CGT du 18e, 42 rue de Clignancourt, 75018 Paris
Facebook event
Mauléon-Licharre (North Basque Country) · Friday September 24 at 8:30 p.m. (reception at 7 p.m.)
Screening followed by a discussion with the Collectif Vacarme(s) Films and Jean-Marc Rouillan, former political prisoner.
Tokia Room, 18 Rue des Frères Barenne, 64130 Mauleon-soule
Brussels (Belgium) · Monday September 27 at 7 p.m.
Screening organized by Secours Rouge, followed by a meeting with the Collectif Vacarme(s) Films.
Adventure Cinema, Galerie du Center, 57 rue des Fripiers, 1000 Brussels
Facebook event
Charleroi (Belgium) · Tuesday September 28 at 6 p.m.
Screening organized by the Plate-Forme Charleroi-Palestine, followed by a meeting with the Collectif Vacarme(s) Films.
Maison pour Associations, 80 route de Mons, 6030 Marchienne-au-Pont
The Facebook event
Gémenos (France 13) · Saturday, October 2
Screening organized by the ANC as part of its annual celebration.
SCOP TI, 500 Avenue du Pic de Bretagne, 13420 Gémenos
Facebook event
Bayonne (North Basque Country) · Monday October 4
More info to come
Brest (France, 29) · Wednesday 6 October
More info to come
Strasbourg (France, 67) · Monday 11 October
More info to come
Saint-Gaudens (France, 31) · Tuesday 12 October
More info to come
Guingamp (France, 22) · Thursday, October 14
More info to come
Tarbes (France, 65) · Thursday 14 October
More info to come
Aix-les-Bains (France, 73) · Thursday 14 October
More info to come
Annecy (France, 74) · Friday 15 October
More info to come
Albi (France, 49) · Friday 15 October
More info to come
Chicago Palestine Film Festival (Chicago, United States) – Between Friday, 15 October and Saturday, 23 October
Details coming soon: https://www.palestinefilmfest.com/
Nanterre (France, 92) · Thursday, October 21
More info to come
Toulouse (France, 31) · Thursday 21 October at 8:30 pm
Screening organized by the Collectif Palestine Vaincra with the Collectif Vacarme (s) Films and Saïd Bouamama, author of “The Georges Ibrahim Abdallah Affair”.
American Cosmograph Cinema, 24 rue Montardy, 31000 Toulouse
Facebook event
Rabastens (France, 81) · Wednesday 3 November
More info to come
Beirut (Lebanon) Tuesday 9 November
More info to come
Beirut (Lebanon) Saturday, November 13
More info to come
Paris (France, 75) Wednesday November 17
More info to come
Saint-Ouen (France, 93) · Thursday, November 18
More info to come
Vitry-sur-Seine (France, 94) · Friday 19 November
More info to come
Manchester (United Kingdom) · Sunday 21 November at 2:30 pm
Screening organized by Fight Racism Fight Imperialism as part of the “Palestine Resists: Film and Music Festival”
Dulcimer Bar, 567 Wilbraham Road M21 0AE Manchester
Facebook event
Carcassonne (France, 11) · Monday 29 November
More info to come
Avignon (France, 82) · Thursday 2 December
More info to come
Niort (France, 79) · Saturday 11 December
More info to come
If you wish to organize a screening of the film, do not hesitate to contact us at vacarmesfilms@gmail.com
The documentary has already been screened in France in Paris ( Festival Ciné-Palestine ), Paris XVII ( Librairie Résistances ), Tremblay-en-France, Marseille , Port-de-Bouc , Aix-en-Provence , Tarbes , La Bâtie-Montsaléon , Foix ( Festival off Resistances ), Entraigues-sur-la-Sorgue , Port Leucate ( Summer University of the NPA ), Avignon, Nantes, Bordeaux, etc.
But also abroad in Tunis – Tunisia, Geneva – Switzerland ( Festival “To film is to resist” ), Naples – Italy ( Festival Bassai Dai ), Cluj-Napoca – Romania, New York City – United States ( The People’s Forum ), Neuchâtel – Switzerland (Le Minimum Cinema), Zürich – Switzerland, Berga – Catalonia, Barcelona – Catalonia, Granollers – Catalonia, etc.
