Brotherly/Sisterly and Friendship Ties among Palestinian Children in Mai Masri's Films

This article investigates a special bond of siblinghood and friendship among Palestinian children as depicted by the Palestinian filmmaker Mai Masri in her famous trilogy Atfal jabal dinar (1991, Children of Fire), Atfal Shatila (1998, Children of Shatila), and Ahlam al-manfa (2001, Frontiers of Dreams and Fears). It highlights the importance of these bonds, based primarily on a shared experience of resistance, and their emotional and political impact on children who live under extreme circumstances of occupation and armed conflict. The article contextualizes Palestinian documentary cinema post-1948, then offers a discussion of Masri's work on the lives, concerns, and dreams of Palestinian children.