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ABOUT THE FILM

The Last Sky is a groundbreaking new documentary about the war in Gaza, written and directed by Lebanese-Australian lawyer Nicholas Hanna. 

 

The film explores the crucial context that is largely absent in the mainstream’s media coverage since October 7 and invites viewers to confront some uncomfortable truths at the heart of the Israel-Palestine conflict.  It also unpacks the escalating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon and how it is inextricably linked to the Gazan genocide.  

 

Filmed in 2004 and 2024, The Last Sky focusses on the highly relevant yet almost entirely overlooked perspective of the Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, while also drawing upon Hanna’s own experiences in the region over the past 20 years. 

 

With refreshing candour and courage, the film broaches a topic generally considered too controversial for public discussion in the West – the “armed resistance” against Israel – and examines why it is so popular amongst large segments of Palestinian and Lebanese society.  

 

The Last Sky aims to foster understanding and meaningful dialogue by amplifying the voices too often silenced in mainstream reporting of this all-important conflict. 

Director’s Statement

Director's Statement: As a Sydney-based lawyer with a deep-rooted commitment to the Palestinian cause, I am honoured to present “THE LAST SKY”, my debut documentary about the current war in Gaza. My connection with Palestine began in my teenage years and was strengthened profoundly during my travels in the Middle East in 2004 with friend and “THE LAST SKY” producer, Rihab Charida. During this time, I witnessed the harsh realities of Palestinians living in the Occupied West Bank and the refugee camps in Lebanon. I also interviewed elders who had been expelled from their homes in Palestine during the creation of the State of Israel in 1948 and lived through unspeakable horrors during the Lebanese Civil War and Israeli invasions of Lebanon. These experiences opened my eyes to the resilience and determination of the Palestinian people and laid the foundation for this documentary. In the film, I seek to understand the Gaza war from the highly relevant yet almost entirely overlooked perspective of the Palestinian refugees in Lebanon. The film combines engrossing footage that I filmed back in 2004 with intimate and unfiltered interviews that I recorded in the camps in Lebanon this year to explore the parallels between the 1948 “Nakba” and the current war on Gaza. I use my personal journey and knowledge to weave the past with the present and critically examine the prospects of peace in the future. My main motivation for the release of this documentary was the frustration that I, along with a large segment of the Australian community, have had with the mainstream media’s largely one-sided coverage of the Gaza war. I want to shed light on the crucial context that is largely ignored in the mainstream media’s coverage since 7 October and invite viewers to face some uncomfortable truths at the heart of the Israel-Palestine conflict. In doing so, I also examine the escalating clashes between Hezbollah and Israel in Lebanon and how they are inextricably linked to the war in Gaza. I acknowledge at the outset that “THE LAST SKY”, is bold and that the opinions expressed by the interviewees will likely be confronting to some viewers. However, I believe that there’s a strong public interest in the viewpoints of all relevant stakeholders in this conflict being heard so that people can make informed decisions about a conflict that has attracted an unprecedented level of interest amongst Australians, particularly the youth. I aim to foster understanding and meaningful dialogue by amplifying the voices too often silenced and investigating key aspects of the conflict that are absent from mainstream reporting. Lastly, I would like to acknowledge that this film would not have been possible without the help of the “THE LAST SKY”, team, including, Producer Rihab Charida, Editors Darrin Baker and Rabih Rezek, Cinematographer Adrian Hartick and Music Director Anton Lock. I look forward to sharing this special project with the world. Nicholas Hanna

CREDITS

 

Written, Directed and Narrated by

NICHOLAS HANNA

 

Produced by

RIHAB CHARIDA

Edited by

DARRIN BAKER and RABIH RIZEK

Camera operators

RIHAB CHARIDA and NICHOLAS HANNA (Palestine and Lebanon 2004), ADRIAN HARTICK (Lebanon 2024), VICKEN AVAKIAN (Al-Arouri funeral), ANDRE TUKIN (Sydney)

 

Animation by

ROSS TESSORIERO

 

Interviewees

ABU SALEH, UM NAZEM, NADIA HAJJ MOHAMED, MANAR SHAMIEH, MAHMOUD HASHEM, SAEED HASNAYN

Music base tracks from

AUDIIO

Additional original musical elements by 

ANTON LOCK

Musicians

ANTON LOCK (Piano, percussion and drum programming)

LORENA JARAMILLO (Violin),  ZENA ABED (Cello)

Fixer (Shatila refugee camp)

MANAR SHAMIEH

Subtitles by

NAZ WAKIM, NICHOLAS HANNA, RIHAB CHARIDA

 

Voiceover recording by

RICHARD BELKNER

 

Mixing by

ADAM NASH

Additional media from

AL-MAYADEEN ENGLISH, GETTY IMAGES, MARYAM EL-KASHOUTY, MIDDLE EAST EYE, ALJAZEERA ENGLISH, AJ+

Communications 

YUSRA HADI

 

Thank you to

THE SHREIDEH FAMILY, SOBHI ALBADAWI AND FAMILY, MOHAMMAD ISSA AND FAMILY, THE WAZNI FAMILY, NAZEEM HUSSAIN, AAMER RAHMAN, LOWKEY, YUSRA HADI, JERIAH LAU

DIRECTOR

NICHOLAS HANNA

Hanna Nicholas is a Lebanese-Australian lawyer and first-time filmmaker based in Sydney. He is a long-standing ally of the Palestinians, whose involvement in campaigning and fundraising activities began more than 20 years ago. More recently, he has provided pro bono legal services to various people participating in pro-Palestine protests, direct action and other solidarity work.

PRODUCER

RIHAB CHARIDA

Rihab Charida is a Palestinian media producer and filmmaker based in Beirut. She is the daughter of Palestinian refugees who were expelled from their village Safsaf when it was invaded during the olive harvest of 1948. For the last 20 years, she has worked in the Middle East with various international news networks, including Al Jazeera, BBC and SBS.

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