The Encampment

As dawn broke on April 17th, 2024, Maryam Alwan, Catherine Elias, and a few dozen of their peers set up camp and pitched tents on the main campus lawn of Columbia University. There, the “Gaza Solidarity Encampment” was born. The goal of the protesters was clear: demand the university’s financial divestment from ties to Israel, as the war rages on in Gaza. Even though the NYPD was called to clear this camp the next day, that was just the start of this story. Over the next two weeks, a second encampment, a building occupation, and an NYPD raid of the university followed. This film captures it all.

Screens live on Saturday, Dec. 7

Q&A with filmmakers to follow

Filmmakers

Kira Boden-Gologorsky (director) is a journalist and producer who believes truth is always stranger (and more interesting) than fiction. As a first-generation Russian-Jewish American, she is passionate about amplifying stories of those persecuted at the hands of the most powerful. The plight of the Palestinian people lives close to her heart as a descendant of Holocaust victims and survivors. Previously, Kira worked on the CNN Original Series team across shows including “Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy,” “Murdochs: Empire of Influence,” and “Watergate: Blueprint for Scandal.” She has developed projects alongside award-winning production companies including Story Syndicate, Scout, ZPZ, Part2 Pictures, The Documentary Group, and for clients including PBS and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Email: kb3411@columbia.edu

Gaia Caramazza (director) is an Italian journalist with an interest in reporting stories at the intersection of politics, identity, and human rights. Having grown up in Jordan and Tunisia, she has reported extensively on the Middle East and North Africa, whereby Palestine has always been a central element of the news cycle. Previously, Gaia worked as a reporter for Al Jazeera English, The New Arab, and the BBC World Service where she produced stories for print, audio, and TV.

Email: gc3076@columbia.edu