Synopsis Slingshot Hip Hop braids together the stories of young Palestinians living in the West Bank, Gaza and inside Israel as they discover Hip Hop and employ it as a tool to surmount divisions imposed by occupation and poverty. From internal checkpoints and Separation Walls to gender norms and generational differences, this is the story of young people crossing the borders that separate them. The film begins with Tamer, Suhell, and Mahmoud of DAM, the first ever Palestinian hip hop group, from their early, awkward recording attempts in an Israeli studio to fiery, sold-out shows in Europe. Through DAM we meet Mahmoud Shalabi, an irreverent rapper from Akka, along with solo R&B artist Abeer and rap group Arapeyat, young women pushing up against cultural boundaries to emerge as talented artists in the Palestinian hip hop scene. Meanwhile, Mohammed, Kan’aan and Mezo of PR (Palestinian Rapperz) have begun emulating DAM and other rappers in Israel and the West Bank. Trapped in Gaza, one of the most heavily populated places on Earth, PR long to visit their fellow rappers in the West Bank, while making the best of check points, economic despair and military attacks.
Awards 2008 Sundance Film Festival – Official Selection
Directors Biography Jackie Reem Salloum is a New York based artist and filmmaker. Drawing on her Palestinian and Syrian roots, her pop-infused work focuses on challenging the stereotypes of Arabs in the media. She has directed several shorts exploring this issue, including Planet of the Arabs, which received the International Editing Award at the 2005 CinemaTexas Film Festival and was an official selection the 05’ Sundance Film Festival. After receiving her MFA from New York University, Salloum began directing her first feature length documentary Slingshot Hip Hop. Five years in the making it made it’s premiere at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival-Documentary Competition.
Location and screening schedule: premiere: SC Cinema, Friday, October 24th at 17.00 reprisal: SC Cinema, Saturday, October 25th at 11.00
