Cinema Amid the Ruins: How Two Sisters Built a Movie Theater For the Children of Gaza

Before the war, Gaza had very few movie theaters, and cinema culture was already fading among younger generations.

Most cinemas disappeared decades ago due to a combination of economic, political, and social factors.

The war has worsened this situation by destroying or damaging cultural centers, including the few remaining cinemas.

Schools, libraries, parks, and sports fields have also been lost, leaving children with almost no spaces to experience normalcy or joy.

The term genocide refers to the deliberate destruction of a group, which in this context highlights the severe impact on Gaza’s population, particularly children.

Hundreds of thousands of children have been out of school for nearly three years because most schools have been destroyed or repurposed as shelters for displaced people.

This loss of infrastructure has created a generation of children growing up in isolation, without access to education or recreational activities.