The company’s first acquisition is a documentary that follows brother Anwar Hadid as he travels to the West Bank in an effort to, according to Alana, “humanize Palestinians.”
Alana Hadid has “high expectations” regarding her new role as artistic director of Watermelon footage.
Hadid spoke to TooFab ahead of the release of the company’s first documentary acquisition, Walledand explained why she believes this venture is significant – and the film studio in particular, which was co-founded by brothers Hamza and Badie Ali.
“I feel like I have high expectations for what we’re going to get basically with Watermelon Footage. I need to achieve Palestinian liberation,” Hadid told us about the studio that is rooted in Palestinian tradition and heritage. “I need to obtain the liberation of the Palestinian voice. I need to allow Palestinians to be people. I want to see a Palestinian romantic comedy. I want to see a lively collection. I want people to easily understand that we are people and that we have real lives, and we want those real lives to be recognized.
The symbolism present in the company’s name and brand is directly linked to the free Palestine movement, as the watermelon contains the colors of the Palestinian flag.
“There were years when the Palestinian flag was banned from being displayed, even at the West Bank and in Israel. And so the Palestinians began to use the watermelon as a logo of their nationality, their tradition and their liberation,” said the fashion designer, fellow model and older sister of Gigi It is Bella Hadiddefined.
Walled makes use of the known Walled accommodation – a Banksy-designed resort located next to the border wall in occupied West Bank – as its point of interest, and the film’s director, Vin Arfuso, says he chose to place the location at the center of his document because “that’s the only way people would watch.
“And that’s what I need to watch. It’s quite easy,” he told TooFab. “How do you get the people you want to watch to watch you? You should emphasize these issues of popular culture and art. Other than that, I personally found it to be a really digestible way to do it.”
Shot in a fast-paced, flashy TikTok format, the doc takes viewers through years and years of history in 90 minutes, in a way that Arfuso hopes is easy to learn.
“If it’s simple to know, it’s easier for me to do,” Arfuso explained. “I feel like you get a lot more out of this than saying, ‘Watch this congressional debate. And that’s how this man…’ I mean, nobody cares. They do not. So that was the thinking behind it.”
The document was initially released just months before Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, leaving 1,200 Israelis dead and triggering months of retaliation in Gaza that resulted in the deaths of more than 34,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials. Although he made the film for everyone, Arfuso said the people he thinks it should affect most are those who don’t know about Palestine and the years-long war there.
“It’s harder for individuals who don’t know anything about Palestine. And there are specific questions that I used during the film where even the Palestinians were arguing among themselves: ‘Well, I don’t agree with what this man said.’ It’s not about that,” she maintained.
Alana’s younger brother, Anwar Hadid, will also be at the forefront of the film, appearing in the doc and serving as an executive producer on the project. In Walledhe is seen paying a visit to the occupied West Bank, where he learns about the resort, Palestinian history, and hears stories from residents young and old.
Although Alana partnered with Watermelon following Anwar’s involvement with the doctor, she said she has supported him throughout and couldn’t be more proud of the 24-year-old.
“I used to be extremely happy with him. He made that choice. He and Vin decided they were going to make this movie. They invested a lot in this. They worked hard to achieve it. It was vital for him to humanize Palestinians. I mean, he mentioned it several times, that was one of his main goals. So I’m extremely proud,” Hadid said, gushing over her younger brother. “I am very pleased with my family, but I am very happy with the Palestinians who have overcome obstacles, whether in the diaspora or at the base. Take a look at what’s happening in Gaza right now. None of us would have known what was going on if it weren’t for all those superb individuals like Bisan (Owda) and Motaz (Azaiza), and all those individuals at the base who actually risked their lives to let the world know what was going on. occurring.”
She continued: “I’m just proud. I am proud to be Palestinian. I’m also pleased with the Palestinians and the resilience that, unfortunately, we needed to have. But the pleasure we discover and the telling of our story, no matter what, is simply – a part of our DNA.”
Watermelon footage
While she acknowledged that there is a level of negative reaction that comes with being pro-Palestinian – sister Gigi was referred to as outside by the Israeli government because of a meme she shared that they considered anti-Semitic, and Bella and several other members of the Hadid family have received hundreds of death threats following their pro-Palestine posts – Hadid says this fuels her, not just for tell Palestinian stories, however, will continue to move towards a “Free Palestine”.
“I mean, pay attention, it has never been safe to be Palestinian and it has never been comfortable to be Palestinian. And that is intentional. We are deliberately silenced. We are deliberately intimidated. There are laws in the United States that make it uncomfortable for Palestinians and allies to talk about Palestine. So it was never comfortable. But I was always taught to be happy with who I am, with my culture and heritage, and to be sure of that,” Hadid shared. “Every Palestinian has become an involuntary activist. We don’t need to be brave and robust on a regular basis. We don’t need to be loud and noisy about being Palestinian on a regular basis. We’d love to just be able to say, ‘Hi, I’m Palestinian.’ And that could be it. For people to know this, it means we are joyful, we are beautiful, we are cultural, we are artistic and all these wonderful things about us.
“We have a negative reaction and that feeds me. It makes me stronger. I am excited to begin educating these people who have been severely miseducated, misguided, and purposely placed in a place where they have not been allowed to know anything about Palestine. So I will continue,” she added.
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As for whether she thinks she will see a “Free Palestine” in her lifetime, Hadid said, “one hundred percent.”
“Not only that, but I also feel that I will see not only a free Palestine, but also a free Congo, a free Sudan and a free Haiti. I need to see a free Hawaii and a free Puerto Rico. I need to see freedom and liberation for all individuals,” Hadid said. “And that’s what the Free Palestine movement is. It’s about freeing ourselves, decolonizing ourselves and, in turn, decolonizing and liberating the world.”
Walled Off will be available on all digital platforms on May 3rd.