This interfaith screening and discussion is offered by Medford for Palestine in collaboration with Sanctuary UCC. Medford for Palestine is a multi-faith community group advocating for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the liberation of Palestine. 

 Sanctuary is an action-oriented faith community that humbly follows and practices Jesus' teachings to love God and our neighbors as God loves. Called to care for and meet people where they are we share prayer and joyful service with all and together - worship, rest in, and serve God - making love and justice real for all of God' s creation. 

Sanctuary UCC

Where Olive Trees Weep

Maral Quttieneh

Zaya Benazzo

Maurizio Benazzo

Ashira Darwish

Finley MacNeil

Caroline Campbell

Nickoloz Kachibaia

Yasen Stoev

Where Olive Trees Weep offers a searing window into the struggles and resilience of the Palestinian people under Israeli occupation. It explores themes of loss, trauma, and the quest for justice. We follow, among others, Palestinian journalist and therapist Ashira Darwish, grassroots activist Ahed Tamimi, and Israeli journalist Amira Hass. We witness Dr. Gabor Maté offering trauma-healing work for a group of women who have been tortured in Israeli prisons. Ancient landscapes bear deep scars, having witnessed the brutal reality of ancestral land confiscation, expulsions, imprisonment, home demolitions, water deprivation, and denial of basic human rights. Yet, through the veil of oppression, we catch a glimpse of resilience—deep roots that have carried the Palestinian people through decades of darkness and shattered lives. This emotional journey bares the humanity of the oppressed while grappling with the question: what makes the oppressor so ruthlessly blind to its own cruelty?

Documentary

Charlotte and William Bloomberg Medford Public Library