Al quds Underground - Digging for Stories - Teaser Video

In the political landscape of Jerusalem, both the outsiders and insiders seek hidden stories to be shared beyond the borders of the city in conflict. Whose stories are being told by whom? Who is listening? The film reveals the diversity of story-tellers and listeners and their individual motives and responses.

The dynamic of give-and-take in story-telling reveals various characters behind the scene of filming a cultural event being developed in the Old City, Jerusalem. Israel has adopted a zero tolerance policy against any cultural events celebrating the citys appointment as the Arab Capital of Culture 2009, considering it to be political by nature and therefore against its laws. An underground arts movement to free cultural and individual narratives under occupation, Al Quds Underground is organized by Merlijn Twaalfhoven, a Dutch composer, and local organisations including Palestinian National Theatre. They are digging for hidden stories of individuals to be told as a site-specific performance in the intimate settings of their homes, to represent the real Jerusalem, the city of cultural richness and diversity beyond the overarching political division between Israel-Palestine that dominates the way people perceive the city and each other.