Nottingham Palestine Film Festival 2026: Shanshula with Q+A and live music
Join us for this special evening of film, discussion and music as Nottingham Palestine Film Festival presents: Shanshula.
Shanshula is a powerful documentary that centres on the lives of the Palestinian fishing community in the Gaza Strip, capturing their daily struggles amid ongoing conflict and blockade.
The title refers to a local fishing-dialect term for a type of net used by Gaza’s fishermen, symbolising their deep connection to the sea and their livelihood.
The documentary serves as a testament to the environmental and human rights challenges faced by Gaza’s fishing community, highlighting the broader impact of political conflict on sustainable livelihoods and ecosystem health.
Through intimate storytelling and respectful representation, Shanshula invites viewers to witness the intersection of ecology, justice, and survival along Gaza’s shores.
After the screening we will have an in-person Q&A session with the director of the movie Musheir El Farra.
Ahmed Adnan, the composer of the documentary's soundtrack, will perform along with his oud.
Content warning: This film depicts scenes of violent and military attacks, forced displacement, bereavement and loss of loved ones and the destruction of infrastructure. This film is PG rated.
Nottingham Palestine Film Festival is a community group working for the dissemination of the culture and history of Palestine and its diaspora. It believes in storytelling and beauty as forms of resistance. Established in 2025, it operates in Nottinghamshire and the English Midlands, relying on a non-hierarchical collective in which decisions are taken democratically following a shared vision and shared objectives. Its membership is open to anyone willing to contribute to its aims while maintaining its horizontal modus operandi. Roles and responsibilities are allocated according to individual availability, skill, and/or desire to learn. The main events revolve around the cinema of Palestine. However, the group aims to also disseminate other forms of Palestinian culture, including music, food traditions, visual arts, and any other manifestation of Palestinian cultural practices.
Musheir El Farra is an author, political activist and chair of the Sheffield Palestine Solidarity Campaign.
Ahmed Adnan is an Egyptian-British musician. Ahmed believes that music is a message to be used to promote the goodness and positive values amongst humanity. He has had a long and successful history as a musician both in Egypt and the UK. He has joined and formed many music groups such as Black Stars, Engeleka, Salam UK Band and Tropicanos. Ahmed plays guitar, oud, frame drums and composes music as well as teaching music for free via his YouTube channel.
Access
Find information about getting here and our building access and facilities here.
This event will be held in the Space.
Speakers will use microphones.
This event is wheelchair accessible.
If you have any questions around access or have specific access requirements we can accommodate, please get in touch with us by emailing info@nottinghamcontemporary.org or phoning 0115 948 9750.