Reclaiming Yaffa: Mama Ganuush

Bella Ciao

This short film is a powerful act of cultural reclamation and artistic futurism. It envisions a world where the historical Nakba never occurred, and Palestine's cultural heart, the city of Yaffa (Jaffa), remains unoccupied and thriving. In this space, queer Palestinian joy is not just possible but is a central, celebrated part of the cultural fabric.

The piece features Mama Ganuush, a is a potent expression of Palestinian queer futurism.

Here, they perform an improvisational dance to the song "Bella Ciao", an antifascist Italian anthem that was in the 40’s before the occupation of Yaffa. It was also Tory and Deeg’s favorite song. Two elders from Queers Undermining Israeli Terrorism. I wanted them to be happy. Bring joyful anthem to bring the power in a moment we need to stop fascism.

The Artist: Mama Ganuush

Mama Ganuush (They) is a disabled, Muslim, trans Palestinian performance artist and activist whose work is deeply rooted in Palestinian liberation and intersectional resistance. Their art directly addresses and challenges colonialism, advocating for queer, disabled, and Palestinian rights.

Born to a father displaced from Yaffa during the Nakba and a mother displaced from Gaza during the Naksa, Mama Ganuush’s life and art are inseparable from their heritage. Their performance style draws from the elegance of Egyptian golden-era dance and Palestinian folk traditions, blending them with a vision of what Palestinian art could have become without colonization. This specific performance is a realization of a lifelong dream: to imagine a queer Palestinian dance unfolding inside the iconic Cinema Al-Hambra in Yaffa, a place their father knew before 1948.

The Song: “Bella Ciao”

"Bella ciao" is an anti-Nazi and anti-fascist Italian folk song dedicated to the partisans of the Italian resistance, who fought against the occupying troops of Nazi Germany and the collaborationist fascist forces during the liberation of Italy. The exact origins are not known, but it is theorized to be based on a folk song of the late 19th century, sung by female workers of the paddy fields in Northern Italy in protest against harsh working conditions.