Please join us on April 6th from 12-2pm for a screening and panel discussion of the award winning short film, Vibrations from Gaza (2023). The director, Rehab Nazzal (joining us virtually from Bethlehem) and Norma Rantisi (Concordia) who will be here in person, will discuss the film and its reception.
Vibrations from Gaza offers a glimpse into the experiences of Deaf children in the colonized and confined coastal territory of Gaza, Palestine. Born and raised under siege and frequent onslaughts, these children, including Amani, Musa, Israa, and others, provide vivid accounts of their encounter with bombardment and the constant presence of drones in their sky. The children describe their perceptions of missiles strikes through sensing vibrations in the air, trembling of the ground, and the resonance of collapsing buildings. The film also questions whether the deafness of these children is a natural or a consequence of Israel’s use of sonic weaponry, such as sonic booms.
With support from the Ontario Arts Council, Rehab Nazzal embarked on a journey to Gaza Strip via Egypt, circumventing the restrictions placed by the Israeli occupation regime which prohibits access to Gaza from the West Bank, without individual permits—rarely issued. While in Gaza, Nazzal worked with children in an Art Therapy program following 2021 attack. She was deeply touched by the conditions and experiences of Deaf children at the Atfaluna Society for Deaf Children and began questioning the deafness of the world towards the conditions of 2.2 million Palestinians in Gaza.
This film gives Palestinian Deaf children in the besieged Gaza a voice to articulate and share their experiences, shedding light on the horrific conditions they have been enduring since 2007.
Monday, April 6, 2026, from 12:00pm to 2:00pm
Sankey Chambers at Brock University
The event is free and a Palestinian lunch will be served. All are welcome. RSVP through ExperienceBU.
Co-hosted by: The President’s Advisory Committee on Human Rights, Equity, and Decolonization and the Social Justice Research Institute. Co-sponsored by: the Centre for Women’s and Gender Studies; the MA in Social Justice and Equity Studies; and the Muslim Medical Association of Canada (MMAC)—Niagara Chapter.