The Phoenix of Gaza film screening with Q&A

We are delighted to be hosting a screening of the film the Phoenix of Gaza by Palestinian film maker and journalist Yousef Alhelou as part of the 2026 Oxford Human Rights Festival and in collaboration with the Oxford Ramallah Friendship Association.

This unique personal film shows rare footage of Gaza before its destruction and now serves as an archive of its past. In July 2023, Yousef Al-Helou, a London-based Palestinian journalist and film maker returned home to Gaza. Al-Helou, a prolific traveller, frequently shared his journeys on his YouTube and Instagram channels. Equipped with a camera, he recorded what was to become some of the last footage of Gaza before Israel’s October 8th 2023 assault on the territory. Little did Yousef realise that the footage taken during his trip would become some of the final records of the cultural, social and recreational life of the besieged and blockaded enclave prior to its destruction.

This screening will offer attendees the chance to take part in an exclusive Q&A session with the film maker and all donations will go towards supporting the Oxford Brookes Gaza Scholarship.