This was recorded in the Summer before the recent bloodshed in Gaza.

When I first saw Jana Kattan’s graduate film, Checkpoint I was struck by the authenticity in which she weaved a simple story filled with heartbreak. There is a reality integral to Checkpoint I couldn’t articulate but it made me pay attention to her strong, honest and empathetic voice. As she describes, she only became aware she was Palestinian later in her life and the search for an identity that came with that has lent her an unparalleled empathy matched with an iron resolve to tell the story of her people.

Along that line, she chose to discuss The Tower by Norwegian film maker Mats Grorud. This is a film about a young girl called Wardi who is asking similar questions, why did they leave their home to move to Lebanon and why can’t they just go back. Grorud weaves a masterful tale of events as seen through young Wardi’s eyes, moving up the tower they live in, layer by layer, uncovering history and trauma but also joy in loving their lives.

The Tower is currently a difficult film to locate on streaming but if you dig deep enough, your efforts will be rewarded.
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The Tower Trailer:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ec8ahECKpQE&ab_channel=Unifrance]

Watch Checkpoint here:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBBY6EQe4gk&t=]

Find more about Jana here:
https://janakattan10.myportfolio.com/home

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Animator’s Breakfast is part of Any-mation and hosted and edited by Cole Delaney.