Sixty-year-old fisherman Issa (Salim Daw) is secretly in love with Siham (Succession's Hiam Abbass), a woman who works at the market with her daughter Leila (Maisa Abd Elhadi). When he discovers an ancient phallic statue of Apollo in his fishing nets, Issa hides it, not knowing what to do with this mysterious and potent treasure. Yet deep inside, he feels that this discovery will change his life forever. Strangely, his confidence starts to grow and eventually he decides to approach Siham.

The official Palestinian entry for Best International Feature at the 93rd Oscars, Gaza Mon Amour’s narrative touches on the universal pursuit of love against the backdrop of Gaza's complex realities, as the characters’ journey questions whether love can truly prevail in the face of adversity.

The screening will be followed by a discussion led by Dr Gul Kacmaz Erk, senior lecturer in Architecture at Queen’s University and will include Dr Erika Jimenez, Leverhulme Fellow, QUB Law and Dr Drew Mikhael, Research Fellow, Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust.

This event is part of CACity presents: Walled Cities 6, a short film season exploring political conflict in divided communities and walled cities around the world. Presented by CACity (Cinema and Architecture in the City) Collaborative Research Group, it is organised by Gul Kacmaz Erk and Marie Curie researcher Ece Sila Bora.

These events are supported by Film Hub NI and the BFI FAN Film Exhibition Fund, awarding funds from National Lottery.

Walled Cities also includes the “Film(ing) Architecture: Film Studio/Set Design in Titanic Square” Exhibition of the Cinematic Architecture Studio of Queen’s MSc Advanced Architectural Design and PgCert Cinematic Architecture programmes. The exhibition with architectural drawings, models, and films, which brings cinema and architecture together, can be visited at the QFT foyer between 24 April and 8 May. Find out more here.