Counterpoints Arts is delighted to be supporting a new film: Palestine Comedy Club. It follows six Palestinian stand-up comedians who write and tour a stand-up comedy show exploring the unlikely, often dark humour that surrounds the complexity of Palestinian identity. What starts as a blending of comic traditions to encourage honest and open reflections through the shared enjoyment of laughter becomes an existential imperative to share common humanity.
In Palestine, there are no comedy clubs, or even tradition of stand-up comedy. The country is also carved up by walls, fences and checkpoints that create divisions in culture and quality of life between towns. As such, developing a comedy show that can speak to these very different audiences is a herculean task and the comedians face many challenges in connecting with their fellow Palestinians across these divides.
Despite the cultural and security challenges of going on tour, the six Palestinian comedians Alaa, Hanna, Diana, Khalil, Ebaa, Raed and their British director, Sam manage to cross checkpoints and borders to perform in theatres across Palestine. Audiences flock to the shows and the tour gains momentum through increasing public demand. Word spreads internationally and they are invited to London for a series of gigs starting, tragically, on October 7th, 2023, just as war breaks out at home. The comedians prepare to perform in English to an increasingly conflicted British public. Suddenly, the mission to connect audiences with thoughtful humanity becomes an existential imperative.
Palestine Comedy Club is directed by Alaa Aliabdallah and co-directed and produced by Charlotte Knowles. You can support their Crowdfunder here.