LAKE PLACID — A volunteer group of High Peaks-area residents will host a free film series — “People, Plants and Apartheid: A Film Series for Palestine” — at St. Eustace Church in Lake Placid on Tuesday evenings this spring.

Meet Palestinian farmers, foragers and kite-flyers in this independent documentary series. Through an environmental and artistic lens, this three-part screening will feature award-winning films exploring Palestinian society and history under apartheid. Organizers are inviting residents to gather on Tuesday evenings this spring to “learn, engage, and connect with others interested in knowing Palestine beyond the headlines.”

Organized by attendees of PS: Letters for a Ceasefire and the High Peaks DSA, this series will raise money for three Palestinian families working to evacuate from Gaza. Attendance is free, but donations are strongly encouraged.

St. Eustace Episcopal Church is located at 2450 Main St., Lake Placid, NY 12946. Parking is available in the lot off of Hayes Street, with additional parking on Main Street.

–

The films

–

On Tuesday, April 9 at 6:30 p.m., the series will present “My Tree” by Jewish Canadian film-maker Jason Sherman. In the film, Sherman sets out to find the tree that was long ago planted in his name in Israel. When he discovers that the tree stands on the remains of a Palestinian village that was destroyed in 1967, he embarks on another journey — to determine his responsibility in helping to cover up the destruction.

On Tuesday, April 23 at 6:30 p.m., “Flying Paper” will be screened. “Flying Paper” shares the uplifting story of resilient Palestinian youth in the Gaza Strip on a quest to shatter the Guinness World Record for the most kites ever flown.

On Tuesday, May 7 at 6:30 p.m., the series will continue with “Foragers,” directed by Jumana Manna. “Foragers” depicts the dramas around the practice of foraging for wild edible plants in Palestine/Israel with wry humor and a meditative pace. Shot in the Golan Heights, the Galilee and Jerusalem, it employs fiction, documentary and archival footage to portray the impact of Israeli nature protection laws on these customs.

This lineup is subject to change, due to availability.

–

The organizers

–

At the start of 2024, a group of concerned residents of towns across the Adirondacks began gathering weekly at 15 Broadway, Saranac Lake to write and send postcards, letters and poems to U.S. elected officials urging them to support a ceasefire in Israel’s bombardment of Gaza.

The weekly effort — called “PS: Letter Writing for Ceasefire” — takes place Mondays, from 5 to 7 p.m., at the Adirondack Center for Writing at 15 Broadway, Saranac Lake. The ACW is not affiliated with the letter writing campaign.

All supplies are provided and all ages are welcome.

–

Gazan families

–

One hundred percent of donations collected at these film screenings will support three families attempting to evacuate from and survive day-to-day in Gaza as they work to access visas, travel fare, food and other necessary supplies. Organizers of this event have personal connections involved with each of these campaigns.

¯ Ayman’s family — Find the GoFundMe at https://tinyurl.com/2p8tvuys.

¯ The Labeeb Family – Find the GoFundMe at https://tinyurl.com/4stbyftb.

¯ The Ramlawi Family — Find the GoFundMe at https://tinyurl.com/5n7dmxrv.

Keep up to date about the series by following the series Instagram at @adkpalfilm or via the Facebook Event pages. A registration form for all three films (registrants can select which they plan to attend) can be found here.