The Power of Narrative in the Liberation of Palestine: Film Screening and Panel Discussion

The Hagop Kevorkian Center for Near Eastern Studies at New York University presents a documentary screening and panel discussion titled “The Power of Narrative in the Liberation of Palestine” on Thursday, October 15, 2026. The program begins with a screening of Mai Masri’s film Frontiers of Dreams and Fears, which follows two Palestinian girls growing up in refugee camps—Shatila in Beirut, Lebanon, and Dheisheh in Bethlehem, Palestine—who correspond by letter and briefly meet at the border amid the liberation of southern Lebanon and the Second Intifada.

Following the screening, a panel discussion will examine how reclaiming narrative agency and emphasizing firsthand testimony challenge omissions in corporate media coverage and influence international policy debates. Featured speakers include Inès Abdel Razek, co-director of the Palestine Institute for Public Diplomacy (PIPD) and its digital advocacy initiative Rabet, alongside Nour Chamoun, an artist, visual storyteller, and faculty member at Parsons School of Design.

The event serves as a benefit fundraiser for the Palestine Institute for Public Diplomacy, with 100 percent of ticket revenue supporting the organization’s advocacy work. Admission is offered on a sliding scale from ten to twenty dollars. Due to capacity limits in the venue, advance registration is required through the Kevorkian Center or on Eventbrite. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., the film begins at 6 p.m., and a reception follows the discussion at 7:30 p.m., concluding at 8 p.m.

The event is hosted by NYU’s Hagop Kevorkian Center for Near Eastern Studies in partnership with the Palestine Institute for Public Diplomacy. For tickets and further details, visit the NYU Kevorkian Center event page or register on Eventbrite.