DEFC new animation to highlight tragedy of Palestinian artist

TEHRAN- The Documentary and Experimental Film Center (DEFC) is set to produce a new animation titled “I Am Heba Zagout,” which portrays the life and martyrdom of Palestinian visual artist Heba Zaqout.

Directed by Ziba Arzhang, the animated movie is based on the artwork of Heba Zaqout, alongside her two sons during last autumn’s extensive Israeli attacks on Gaza, resulting in the destruction of all her paintings.

The story of Heba Zaqout’s life is narrated through her paintings, with each piece seeming to come to life, allowing audiences to connect with different aspects of her existence, Arzhang told ISNA on Thursday.

Three weeks prior to her death, Zaqout sent a video of her work to a gallery owner in al-Quds, requesting that an exhibition of her paintings be held in her ancestral homeland. Through this animation, viewers will witness her artwork alongside that of the gallery owner, she added.

Arzhang elaborated on how the concept for this project developed and her reasons for choosing such a subject: “Like many people, I follow the news in Iran and worldwide, and I have always found it distressing to see wars in various countries. However, what is even more troubling is the killing of women and children who are simply going about their daily lives, having nothing to do with the conflict yet finding themselves caught in it. The death toll in Gaza due to Israeli actions is horrific; since last October, 34,000 people have been killed there, with 69 percent being women and children.”

“Last year, I learned about the martyrdom of several Palestinian artists, including Heba Zaqout. Her paintings were vibrant, depicting Gaza with colorful and cheerful buildings, fireworks in the night sky, white doves, and women in traditional Palestinian attire,” she continued.

“I was drawn to her work, conducted further research about her, and when I discovered that all her paintings had been destroyed in a fire, I thought, ‘I would like to bring her world of paintings back to life through this project.’”

Arzhang explained that the story is narrated using the motifs of Zaqout’s paintings, a technique she has utilized in her previous films, resulting in a unique and innovative form of storytelling.

Heba Zaqout was a graduate of the Fine Arts University of Gaza. Since this animation is based on her artwork, the artistic element of the project is undoubtedly the most significant aspect, she noted, adding, “Personally, I do not lean toward creating overtly propagandistic works; however, my perspective and feelings toward the hatred I have for war and the killing of defenseless women and children will certainly resonate in this work.”

She also mentioned that this two-dimensional animation will run for about seven minutes and will take approximately one year to produce, noting that she is currently in the pre-production phase of the animation.

SAB/