The Women and Democracy Foundation (KADEM) has produced a powerful short documentary film that tells the stories of two women artists living in the occupied Palestinian territories. Created by KADEM Sanat, the documentary takes viewers on an emotional and moral journey through the lives of two young women artists from Gaza and Jerusalem.

Released under the slogan “Some Stories Cannot Be Silenced,” the film focuses on the lives of Emel Abu Sibah and Sadin Tavil, who resist Israel’s genocide—committed in full view of the world—through their art. The film emphasizes that art is not just a means of aesthetic expression, but also a medium of resistance, hope, and memory.

A Wall, A Figure, A Resistance in Gaza

Emel Abu Sibah, a young painter living in Gaza, clings to her art under the shadow of destruction. After completing her education, she returns to her war-torn city and transforms her paintbrush into a tool of resistance. She paints a female figure on the only remaining wall of a bombed building—an image that sharply contrasts with the ruins behind it and serves as a silent cry for justice. A symbol of quiet resistance, Emel states: “I am a visual artist, living in Gaza, and I am 25 years old. I see art as a weapon to defend my country. Every woman here has a role to play. I can’t wait for the day when my name will be known worldwide. The world needs to wake up and mature to see all that’s happening.”

Emel’s words and artwork go far beyond personal artistic practice—they represent her people’s struggle for existence, the resilience of women, and hope for the future.

Echoes from Jerusalem: Music as the Language of Lost Lives

The second protagonist of the documentary is 18-year-old qanun player Sadin Tavil from Jerusalem. Despite her young age, Tavil turns her music into a voice for the unspeakable sorrows and longings of her people. Her music is not just art—it becomes a shared language for Palestinian women, children, and lives lost.

Sadin expresses her purpose: “Over time, I realized I could convey my message more positively through music. My message is this: just like freedom, there is safety, education, and life here, and no one should be exiled from this place. I want to feel the same sense of freedom and security in my country and see my homeland free.”

Hope, Resistance, and Memory: A Space for Witnessing

This short film not only portrays the personal stories of two women but also conveys the collective memory of a people and the strength of women in resistance. In this narrative, art becomes a “space of memory.” Each brushstroke and melody is a note recorded so that what happened will not be forgotten.

KADEM Sanat’s project illustrates how art can become a reconstructive force in regions destroyed by war. The documentary serves as a call to global public conscience: “See. Hear. Remember.”

Madleen: The Ship That Carried Hope

Although not featured in the documentary, an important related detail is the aid ship Madleen, which was seized by Israel. The ship was named after a young Palestinian woman fisher in Gaza who supported her family through the sea. Like Sibah’s brush and Tavil’s qanun, Madleen carried hope—and was therefore silenced. Yet its message remains clear: “You cannot block hope.”

Palestine: The Conscience of Humanity

For the Palestinian people, subjected to systematic occupation, exile, rights violations, and violence, the situation in Gaza has reached genocidal proportions. In the face of this darkness, art becomes not just a means of expression, but also a form of witnessing, remembering, and resisting.

This documentary by KADEM Sanat focuses on the bond Palestinian women build with life and the future, issuing a moral call to the global public. Premiered at KADEM’s In Solidarity with Palestinians: Art as a Form of Resilience event held at the Turkish House in New York, the film is shared on KADEM’s social media accounts with the message: “Watch, share, and amplify their voices. Because some stories cannot be silenced.”