RAFIF ESLEEM

Gaza- Shadow play is an ancient form of storytelling and entertainment which uses flat articulated cut-out figures which are held between a source of light and a translucent screen or scrim. Gazan artist Amira Hamdan performs shadow plays telling the stories of women and children to raise awareness for the rights of women and children.

 

Amira Hamdan, a young woman in her twenties, has completed her preparations to perform a shadow play for children. “The play will take children on a journey from the Gaza Strip to the city of Jerusalem. The play aims to raise awareness for children to preserve their cultural heritage,” she told NuJINHA.

She raises awareness of women

Speaking about how her journey with shadow plays started, Amira Hamdan said, “My first performance was with a group of women studying on women's political participation. The play was about women’s political participation, how they run for elections for their rights. Men, women and children watched the play. I did not expect that so many people would be interested in my play. After my performance, the people told me that they support women’s political participation. The next day, some of the women who watched the play went to the Palestinian Legislative Council to demand women representation in local elections.”

A hundred years legacy

Amira Hamdan performed a shadow play for children in the Beit Safafa town of Jerusalem. “The aim of this play was to deepen the bond of children with their homeland by showing Palestinian houses surrounded by olive and lemon trees. Shadow play is a hundred years legacy.  They were mostly performed at night by illuminating with an oil lamp or candles. Shadow puppet theatre originated in China and in India. It was famous during the Mamluk dynasty in the Middle East. Shadow play was inscribed in 2018 on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in Syria. Shadow play is an art performance using puppets made of colorfully painted transparent leather.”

 Speaking about the challenges faced by her, Amira Hamdan said, “One of the challenges I face is the lack of raw materials that are used to perform the shadow plays. I try to use waste materials made of wood and plastic. Although they are poor quality, they are sufficient for me to perform the plays.”

45 shadow plays

Amira Hamdan and artist Shaima Hassanein to design and produce the characters for shadow plays. “We are inspired by everything in Palestine to write shadow plays. Until now, we have performed 45 shadow plays in nine different cities of Palestine with the support of Palestinian Ministry of Culture and some women’s organizations. The audience has shown a great interest in the performances.”

 Noting that she aims to raise awareness for women’s rights by performing shadow plays, Amira Hamdan said, “We want to perform more shadow plays addressing different issues in our society. We want to emphasize the laws, rights, social lifestyle and the needs of women. Our performances will focus on women’s issues.”