Nestled between the Galilee, the Golan Heights and the Jordan Rift Valley, Lake Tiberias is known for its scenic beauty and religious significance. It is also the site of Lina Soualem’s 2023 documentary, “Bye Bye Tiberias,” which screened at Collins Cinema on Tuesday, Feb. 11. The event was part of the Jay R. Schochet Cultural Event Series and organized jointly by the Middle Eastern Studies and Cinema and Media Studies departments. The film highlights the story of Soualem’s mother, Hiam Abbass, and her departure from her family home in the village of Deir Hanna. “Bye Bye Tiberias” traces Soualem’s maternal lineage in the midst of the 1948 Palestinian “Nakba,” or Catastrophe, and the subsequent displacement of her family. As parts of the world are now rediscovering Palestine, Soualem’s film centers Palestinian voices, and in doing so, reclaims Palestinian heritage and tradition. At a time when Palestinian identity has become heavily politicized, filming the story of her mother’s family is Soualem’s own form of resilience.

“Bye Bye Tiberias” opens with footage of Soualem swimming in Lake Tiberias as a child. Soualem narrates, “As a child, my mother took me swimming in this lake. As if to bathe me in her story.” Soualem was born and raised in Paris but spent her childhood summers in Deir Hanna, a village that was under Israeli control when Soualem’s mother, Hiam Abbass, was growing up. Abbass eventually moved to Paris due to the suffocation she felt as a Palestinian in modern-day Israel. However, living in exile in Paris proved an immense challenge, and once Soualem was born, Abbass made frequent trips to Deir Hanna. 

Historical archival footage and personal home movies are woven into the documentary, providing an official yet personal touch to Soualem’s story. Abbass and Soualem’s narration of their story revolves around monumental family figures like Um Ali, Soualem’s great-grandmother who was forcibly displaced from her home in Tiberias during the 1948 Nakba. Interspersed throughout the film are precious moments between Abbass and her sisters, who have maintained their closeness despite having been separated for years. 

“Bye Bye Tiberias” particularly resonated with students of Palestinian descent at Wellesley. Hala Habahbeh ’27 commented, “In the Arab World, we assume the heritage of our fathers. It’s patrilineal … Watching a film following the women and their lineage was deeply precious to me. The origins of our mothers are discussed, but not often considered as a part of our roots. The film recognized our mothers. It focused on our Palestinian mothers, their strength, their resilience and their endless love. It made me feel seen. ” 

Jouri Elsadek ’27 was similarly moved by the film, “I grew up hearing about my family’s personal history in Palestine, but growing up in the states meant that I usually only heard about Palestine in contexts of violence and genocide. To see Soualem trace her family history was a moving reminder that Palestinians remain today and continue to live out their lives all over the world. We will never be erased.”

The movie screening was followed by a Q&A session with Soualem. On how the film changed her relationship with her mother, Soualem noted that, “I was not expecting to know the young woman that [my mother] was, nor the teenager, nor the young child. It was a way for me to get closer to my mother because when you’re born in a country that isn’t your parents’, there is such a huge gap in the culture and language. But through this film, I had access to things I never thought I had access to.”

The use of both French and Arabic in the documentary prompted a question about Soualem’s interpretation of language in the film, to which she responded, “It’s a mirror of our two different cultures. For me, accepting the multiplicity of language was also a way of affirming our complexity. I didn’t want to hide the fact that French was my native language. I wanted to follow the more authentic reality that I had. If I had translated it to Arabic, I would have been faking the storytelling.” 

Since its release, “Bye Bye Tiberias” has received numerous accolades and nominations, including the Grierson Award at the BFI London Film Festival and the shared jury prize at the Marrakech International Film Festival. Its themes of resilience and overcoming occupation have resonated with audiences across the globe, especially in the wake of Israel’s latest onslaught on Gaza. “Bye Bye Tiberias” serves as a staunch reminder of the stubbornness and enduring nature of the human spirit in the face of tragedy.

Contact the editor responsible for this story: Phoebe Rebhorn