Frontline Gaza medics join Leeds screening of award-winning documentary
A searing new documentary revealing the brutal realities of life under siege in Gaza is set to be screened in Leeds later this month
The film, directed by Lebanese filmmaker Carol Mansour and Mona Khalidi, follows Dr Ghassan Abu Sittah, a British-Palestinian reconstructive surgeon who spent 43 days operating at 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.
Following the screening, audiences will hear from UK-based healthcare professionals who have recently returned from Gaza and the West Bank. The panel will include Dr Muhammad Farooq, a colorectal surgeon who has travelled to Gaza three times; Ellen Miller, a nurse with Medical Aid for Palestinians; Dr Najeeb Rahman, an emergency medicine consultant; and Dr Ahmed Sabra, a cardiology consultant from Gaza.
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.”
Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi, directors and producers, 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 in all its horror and in the sumud and passion of Palestinians."
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.
The documentary has won international acclaim since premiering at the Cairo International Film Festival in 2024, where it received Best Arab Film, a Jury Prize and a Silver Award for Best Palestinian Film.
Tickets for A State of Passion are priced at £5–£7.50 and are available now via Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/a-state-of-passion-tickets-1578495655999