Frontline Gaza medics to join Leeds screening of documentary
A feature length documentary that offers a rare and unfiltered glimpse into life under siege in Gaza will be screened in Leeds.
A State of Passion, directed by Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi, follows the experience of British-Palestinian reconstructive surgeon Dr Ghassan Abu Sittah, who worked for 43 days without pause in Gaza’s Al Shifa and Al Ahli hospitals during Israel’s bombardment.
The documentary will be screened on September 26 at St Chad’s Parish Centre in Headingley, as part of this year’s Scalarama Leeds DIY Film Festival.
The event, which is hosted by the Leeds Palestinian Film Festival in partnership with West Yorkshire Health Workers for Palestine, will be followed by a live Q&A with UK-based medics some who have recently returned from Gaza.
Speakers will include Dr Ahmed Sabra, a Cardiology Consultant from Gaza, Dr Najeeb Rahman, an Emergency Medicine Consultant who has supported ongoing care in Gaza, Ellen Miller, a nurse with Medical Aid for Palestinians who recently conducted a scoping mission in the West Bank, and Dr Muhammad Farooq, a General and Colorectal Surgeon, who has travelled to Gaza three times.
A State of Passion premiered at the 45th Cairo International Film Festival in November 2024 where it won Best Arab Film, a Jury Prize and a Silver Award for Best Palestinian Film. Since then, the documentary has received worldwide acclaim and won Best Feature-Length Documentary at the 21st Al Ard Film Festival in Cagliari and Audience Choice Award at the San Diego Arab Film Festival.
Directors Mansour and Khalidi are now excited to bring the film to Leeds. They said: “We are thrilled that our film A State of Passion will be present at this year’s Leeds Palestinian Film Festival. With all the horror of the ongoing genocide in Gaza, it is more urgent than ever to have our narrative of the reality of genocide be told.”
The Leeds Palestinian Film Festival organisers say the screening offers Leeds audiences a rare chance to see the film, which has not yet been widely released in the UK.
Jane Stageman, Co-Director of the Leeds Palestinian Film Festival, said: “This is an extraordinary film that shows both the human cost of war and the incredible resilience of those who continue to provide care under unimaginable conditions. We’re proud to bring it to Leeds, and even more honoured to welcome medics who have worked in Gaza to share their stories first-hand.”
Tickets cost £5 - £7.50 and are available onto purchase on Eventbrite.