A Scariff couple never thought they would make a short film about Palestine until they arrived there in 2022.
Following years of quiet solidarity and talk of finding a way to more directly support the people of Palestine, Bonnie Boyle and PJ McNamara finally made the journey to the troubled Middle Eastern country. Post first film-screening in Scariff during the upcoming Harbour Festival on Saturday 5pm, August 1st  a discussion will follow at the GAA hall with PJ, Bonnie and Fatma Abuawwad, a woman from Gaza, who lived in Scariff for a time before moving with her family to Dublin.
The Art of Resistance: The Art of Sumud documents the Scariff couple’s experience and explores the everyday realities and reflections on Sumud – steadfast resilience – a core cultural value and ideology representing everyday resistance, rootedness and determination by Palestinians to remain on their land and maintain dignity despite ongoing oppression and hardship. The film was recently screened at the Belltable in Limerick and at venues in Cork, Dublin, Athlone and as far away as Chicago.
‘PJ and I had thought many times about volunteering in Palestine in the hope that we could get a better understanding of life for Palestinians and contribute in some small way to the people we met,’ said Bonnie Boyle. ‘I had found an artisan craft worker who had put us in touch with Palestinian women who made traditional crafts and PJ had connected with an olive oil trader, but the accidental film ultimately became more about our journey to places like Bethlehem, Dheisheh, Jerusalem, Ramallah and Hebron, names all too familiar to us now,’ she said.
Neither Bonnie nor PJ were professional filmmakers. Something struck them immediately about the people they met that felt compelling. It was only when they came across the term – Sumud – they  began to understand that resilience was at the heart of everything the Palestinians said and did and was strikingly evident in their day-to-day life. It became the spark that ignited the film, but neither was, at that time, aware how the landscape in Palestine would change or how the weight of editing their simple film would become increasingly heavy.
Before the war in Gaza, Fatma Abuawwad dedicated her career to educating and helping young people build their futures. Having been displaced by the war, she and her family came to Ireland in January 2024. Like many forced to leave their homes, she had to adapt to a different culture, language and way of life. ‘Rebuilding a life after war is not only about finding safety- it is also about re discovering purpose and hope,’ said the former Gazan school principal.
Living with the emotional impact of war and the uncertainty of the future are still significant challenges for the Abuawwad family to overcome. Starting a completely new life in a country with different systems and ways of doing things requires constant adjustment. Despite having extensive leadership experience in education, Fatma still strives to rebuild a professional identity.
She turned down an offer of a full-time job with Amazon to take care of her family, but she has now started a small handmade soap business from scratch, introducing a traditional Palestinian product to a new market. ‘Although still coping with the loss of familiarity and trying to create a sense of belonging in Ireland, preserving my Palestinian identity and cultural heritage is still hard but I continue to believe and hope in the opportunities to come,’ said Fatma Abuawwad.
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