On December 1, Scandinavia House presents a special screening and film talk of a Swedish qualifier for Best Documentary Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards: the tender, deeply affecting documentary Yalla Parkour, followed by a Q&A with director Areeb Zuaiter.

Yalla Parkour
Dir. Areeb Zuaiter | Sweden/Qatar/Saudi Arabia/Palestine, 2024

When she was four, the filmmaker Areeb Zuaiter travelled to Gaza and saw the sea for the first time. That moment – the magic of the sea and the smile on her Palestinian mother’s face – had a lasting impact. When she sees a video of young men doing parkour on Gaza’s sandy shores, her nostalgia for this distant home resurfaces. The joy of the young athletes stands in stark contrast to the distant echoes of explosions. Longing to reconnect with her past, Areeb gets in touch with the parkour team and befriends Ahmed. Together, they navigate what is left of Gaza, exploring a cemetery, a run-down shopping center, and the remains of an airport.

As their relationship deepens, Ahmed reveals the harsh realities of life in Gaza, transforming Areeb’s initial curiosity into a profound awareness of the struggles he faces. Areeb grapples with feelings of guilt and conflict as she witnesses Ahmedʼs desire to escape the confines of his homeland, understanding the emotional void such a departure would entail. Framed as a narrated letter from Zuaiter to her mother, Yalla Parkour becomes not only a quest to reclaim memories but also an exploration of identity, belonging, and the haunting legacy of a home left behind.

“An interesting, subtle and poetic watch… a testament to the human spirit’s ability to continue and find light, even against all odds.” (Ola Salwa, Cineuropa)

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