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Draft:Dima Hamdan

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Dima Hamdan
ديما حمدان
Born1975 (age 49–50)
Kuwait
Years active1997–present

Dima Hamdan (Arabic: ديما حمدان; born 1975) is a Palestinian-British filmmaker and journalist based in Berlin. Her short film Blood Like Water (2023) won the 2024 Iris Prize.

Early life

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Hamdan was born in Kuwait to Palestinian parents. Her grandfather was displaced from Umm Khaled during the Nakba, while her mother was "driven out at gunpoint" from Tulkarem during the Naksa in 1967. Amid Gulf War, Hamdan moved with her family to Jordan.[1] Hamdan studied Law.[2]

Career

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Journalism

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Hamdan began her journalism career in 1997 working as a parliamentary correspondent for The Jordan Times. She also contributed to Al-Hayat and the Middle East Times. In 2002, Hamdan joined the London office of BBC Arabic and BBC World Service.[3] She worked for the network until 2014 as a reporter and producer.

As of 2017, Hamdan is founding editor and manager of the Marie Colvin Journalists' Network (MCJN), a collective of women journalists in the Arab World.[4][5]

Filmmaking

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debut short film Gaza – London Jordan Film Festival. In 2010, Hamdan received the Abu Dhabi Film Commission's Shasha grant to develop a project titled The Kidnap,[6] which was selected for the Hothouse workshop at the London Film School.

The Bomb.

Blood Like Water premiered at the Galway Film Fleadh and screened at the 2023 Brooklyn Film Festival, where it was awarded Best Narrative Short.[7] Principal photography took place in 2023, following a young gay man in the West Bank who faces blackmail from the IDF.[8] Hamdan described the film as "fictional" but "based on real information".[9] Blood Like Water won the 2024 Iris Prize.[10] In her acceptance speech, she condemned Israel's pinkwashing.[11]

Dima Hamdan is developing her debut feature film Amnesia, produced by Tony Copti. Amnesia received an Atlas Development Prize at the 2023 Marrakech International Film Festival.[12]

Personal life

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In 2009, Hamdan became a British citizen.[13] She relocated to Berlin circa 2016 "to explore a different city".[1]

Filmography

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  • Gaza – London (2009, short)
  • The Bomb (2019, short)
  • Blood Like Water (2023, short)
  • Amnesia (TBA)

References

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  1. ^ a b Kruglyak, Maria (9 May 2025). "Other Forms of Sacrifice: Dima Hamdan on "Blood Like Water"". Mubi. Archived from the original on 26 May 2025. Retrieved 5 June 2025.(subscription required)
  2. ^ "Filmmakers at Shoot'n'Post & Tonbüro: Dima Hamdan". Tonbüro. 26 March 2019. Retrieved 5 June 2025.
  3. ^ "World Stories: Contributors". BBC World Service. Retrieved 5 June 2025.
  4. ^ Kilman, Larry (24 February 2017). "Non-profits Thrive by Word of Mouth. They Need More Mouths". American Graduate School of Paris. Retrieved 5 June 2025.
  5. ^ "AMEJA's Mentorship Committee Meets with MCJN's Dima Hamdan". AMEJA. 18 August 2022. Retrieved 5 June 2025.
  6. ^ Shackleton, Liz (17 November 2010). "Hamdan, Kharsa split Shasha grant at close of Circle Conference". Screen Daily. Retrieved 5 June 2025.
  7. ^ "Blood Like Water by Dima Hamdan". Brooklyn Film Festival. Retrieved 5 June 2025.
  8. ^ Saeed, Nazeeha (12 December 2024). "Palestinian director Dima Hamdan: "There is no pride when gay men are blackmailed"". Qantara. Retrieved 5 June 2025.
  9. ^ Lecumberri, Beatriz (23 November 2024). "'Seeing an Israeli soldier with the LGBTQ flag on top of the ruins of Gaza is offensive to every gay person in the world'". El Païs. Retrieved 5 June 2025.
  10. ^ Horton, Nick (12 October 2024). "Iris Prize 2024: Palestinian Dima Hamdan wins LGBTQ+ film award". BBC News. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  11. ^ "Dima Hamdan wins Iris Prize; speaks on Israeli pinkwashing in speech". The New Arab. 15 October 2024. Archived from the original on 5 November 2024. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  12. ^ Roth, E. Nina (1 December 2023). "Tunisia's 'Motherhood', Palestine's 'Amnesia' grab top prizes at Marrakech's Atlas Workshops". Screen Daily. Retrieved 5 June 2025.
  13. ^ Rahwanji, Maha (2010). "Al Ghurba: A photographic exhibition by Inzajeano Latif" (PDF). Palestine News. p. 28. Retrieved 5 June 2025.
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Category:British people of Palestinian descent Category:Jordanian people of Palestinian descent Category:Kuwaiti people of Palestinian descent Category:Naturalised citizens of the United Kingdom Category:Palestinian women film directors Category:Palestinian women journalists

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