Expositions

In 2024, more journalists and media workers have lost their lives worldwide than ever before. In conflict zones, the media play a crucial role in making information accessible, yet they are increasingly targeted themselves. This year, the Movies that Matter Festival provides space for artworks that reflect on the vulnerability of journalism in times of war and oppression.

Artwork: DISTANT SUFFERING XXXVIII | I.D. of a Shared White Kite

At the heart of this artwork are three kites made from newspapers featuring articles on the genocide in Gaza and war crimes in the West Bank. The tails of the kites bear the names of 106 journalists killed between 7 October 2024 and September 2025 in Gaza, the West Bank, Israel, and Lebanon.

The poem If I Must Die by Palestinian poet Refaat Al-Areer (1979–2023) can be heard in the installation. On 6 December 2023, Al-Areer was killed along with his family in an Israeli airstrike. Following his death, his final poem was widely shared and has since been translated into more than 250 languages.

Hans Overvliet (Leiden, 1952) explores in his work how the media depict (military) violence and the role of perception, memory, and identity in this process. In the 1980s, he witnessed events in the Middle East as a reporter—experiences that continue to resonate in his art.

FREE Monument

The Free Press Unlimited monument honours the journalists who lost their lives in 2023 and 2024 while working in the occupied Palestinian territories. Free Press Unlimited advocates for the rights of every journalist to report safely and freely, no matter the circumstances.

During the festival, you can attend the Industry panel talk Take on Journalism & Censorship. This panel encourages reflection and is essential for aspiring journalists, filmmakers, and changemakers. The panel includes Jihan El-Tahri (curator, Digidocs – Aljazeera Digital), Ruth Kronenburg (Executive Director, Free Press Unlimited), Santiago Maza Stern (director of State of Silence), and Jeanne Maksymenko-Dovhych (representative of the Ukrainian delegation). Moderated by Margje de Koning.