Following its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival ‘GAZA’ has been screened at film festivals around the world and has been the winner of several awards including first prize at the Dublin International Film Festival. The co-directors are Enniskillen man Andrew McConnell and Garry Keane who grew up in Ballyshannon. The two had known of each other’s work in photography and filmmaking respectively but until they got together for the making of ‘GAZA’ they were unaware that they had grown up in neighbouring towns.

Andrew has spent several periods over the last ten years working and living in Gaza and the film was inspired by a photo series he had completed in 2011 about surfers there.

‘GAZA’ is currently the most successful Irish produced documentary film and has been selected as Ireland’s entry for the Oscars 2020.

Andrew said: “The film follows a broad range of characters: a young boy from a refugee camp lives by the sea with his large family, a teenage girl plays the cello and dreams of studying abroad, an old fisherman waits to see his son released from prison in Israel, a taxi driver interacts with the ordinary people of the strip. A people who struggle for normality amidst the rubble of perennial conflict.”

Garry commented: “It has been a long road, and there were many times when we thought the film would never get made, so it feels good finally to be able to get it out into the world. We hope the audience comes away from the film with a new perspective on Gaza and a better insight into the situation there. This film needed to be made and we are heartened by the response to it so far.”

‘GAZA’ will come to the big screen at IMC cinema in Enniskillen on Wednesday, December 4 at 8pm, in association with Fermanagh Film Club and Film Hub NI.