Students from Hamad Bin Khalifa University’s (HBKU) College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS) cooperated with Doha Film Institute (DFI) to deliver an inclusive screening experience for the Palestinian film 200 Meters.

As part of their studies for the CHSS’ Master of Arts in Audiovisual Translation program, the students created enriched subtitles in Arabic and English for the deaf and hard of hearing, audio description, and supported the Qatari Center of Social Cultural for the Deaf’s development of sign language. Invitations to the screening were made available in sign language, audio and visual text. All forms of physical and sensory accessibility needs were taken into consideration, including providing training to HBKU students and to DFI and cinema staff on interacting with persons with disabilities. 

Commenting on the students’ contribution, Dr. Maria Jimenez-Andres, CHSS, said: “We’re rightly proud of our students’ commitment and dedication to making the screening of 200 Meters an inclusive screening. This year’s screening was especially important to us and to our students because of the aggressions happening in Gaza at the time of the screening. For us, the inclusive screening was an opportunity to bring the blind and deaf audiences closer to the Palestinian struggle, and further the Palestinian cause. We’d like to thank the DFI, Qatari Center of Social Cultural for the Deaf, the Cultural Centre for the Blind, and everyone else involved for the opportunity and for their invaluable support in bringing this project to life.’

Written and directed by Ameen Nayfeh, 200 Meters highlights the daily realities faced by Palestinians. Its protagonist, Mustafa, lives with his mother in the part of the West Bank under Palestinian control, while his wife and children live under the occupation. The film’s portrayal of the Palestinian spirit is characterized by Mustafa’s fight against the bitterness caused by occupation by fully embracing the small moments of joy he experiences with his family.

In a statement written collectively by the students after the screening, the students said: “Films regularly give a voice to the voiceless, and everybody should be able to comprehend and embrace those voices. We’re grateful for the opportunity to make 200 Meters an immersive and inclusive experience. Time spent on this project will undoubtedly influence the rest of our studies, and beyond.”

HBKU’s CHSS builds national capacity in fields of global importance by providing interdisciplinary postgraduate education to future leaders in the humanities and social sciences; audiovisual translation, translation studies, intercultural communication; women, society and development, as well as digital humanities. For more information, please visit: https://www.hbku.edu.qa/en/chss