The Clown of Gaza

The Clown of Gaza is a portrait of the greatly beloved performer Alaa Meqdad. The bombings of Gaza City—where he once lived with his parents, sisters, wife, and children—have forced him and his family into a tent camp. With extraordinary optimism, he embraces life in the here and now, and tries to make it more enjoyable for others. Together with his partner, he performs as Aloosh the clown for children in hospitals and on the streets. Their jokes, songs, and boundless energy make the horrific reality momentarily disappear.

Alaa and his family are the lens through which Palestinian filmmaker Abdulrahman Sabbah shows how people in Gaza cope with the daily horrors of war. Tossed to and fro between hope for a ceasefire and the threat of total genocide, they endure the loss of their loved ones and their homes.

A return to their home—or what remains of it—comes into view when news arrives during filming that the roads to Gaza City have been reopened. Sabbah’s first feature-length documentary is a celebration of humanity, love, and resilience in pitch-dark times.