OKA Mari, Zoom Live Talk [ 2 ]

Mari Oka, the author of “What is Gaza – Urgent Lectures to Understand Palestine” and “What Junior High School Students Should Know about Palestine” and a long-time researcher on West Asia (aka the Middle East), especially women writers, is a sought-after speaker at various events. She is a professor at Waseda University, but this semester she is also teaching a course on Palestine at the University of Tokyo. Oka-san will be our guest for the third and fourth installments of the online UPAF, and she will explain a brief history of Palestine.
We look forward to experiencing the unknown place we shall arrive at when we listen to Oka-san’s commentary as we watch the 7 Palestinian films streamed/screened at the 10th UPAF. You are, of course, welcome to join us even if you have not seen the films streamed/screened at UPAF but want to learn about Palestine’s history.

This will give you a deeper understanding of not only the 4 films already streamed, but also the upcoming Palestinian films “Where the Birds Fly” and “Ahmad Alive” (in the fourth installment, 2008-09 and Gaza attacks after 2023) and “200 meters” (in the fifth installment, contemporary life in the West Bank).

*We would like to pay Ms. Oka for his speaking fee, and since a lot of money is being spent on screening rights fees and distribution platform costs, we will charge a small fee in the hope that we will not go into the red. We also plan to make archived streaming available until the end of January next year, when the 10th UPAF’s in-person screening in Okayama will have completed. Tickets for archived streaming will be available for purchase from the same Teket page within 2-3 days after the talk.

*Because of the high cost of using Zoom for a webinar, we will do it in a meeting format. We will use the spotlight function, so only Oka-san and UPAF staff will be in large view. Please note that we will be recording the event for archival distribution. Participants other than the host and guest will be hidden in the recorded video. But your name is shown to other live participants. If you do not want your name to appear, please change it beforehand. Attendance at the talk is strongly recommended for those who wish to meet Oka-san and enjoy the live experience.