Opinion: Shattering the Mirrors of Our Innocence
Image credit: Apartheid-Free Western MA
Looking in the mirror, who is it we see? Who is it we want to be? Two films offer us the opportunity to rip off the mask in the mirror to see the evil we are all complicit in perpetuating.
“Naza”
The 2026 film, “Naza,” directed by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, is currently being shown at Amherst Cinema (see dates and times here), a gut punch and a reckoning with how far a system can warp and destroy our humanity. While “Naza” explores the use of AI and automated surveillance to carry out missions of strategic mass murder of civilians and innocent children in Gaza, for me the greatest horror came from its insight into the tech operatives I saw reflected in my own mirror. There was pride in achieving such elite employment, satisfaction from successfully carrying out a mission, and the sickening cognitive dissonance in being able to disregard the consequences of decimating entire neighborhoods for the machine. Are we so different as U.S. citizens going about our days knowingly operating within a system we know does harm?
“Seeds for Liberation”
On Thursday, October 22, 6:30-8:30pm, the 2026 film, “Seeds for Liberation,” will be coming to the Flavin Family Auditorium at UMass Amherst to open our eyes to Palestinian resistance and global anti-imperialist struggles. Director Matthew Solomon will be joining the Q&A portion of the program by Zoom.
Dr Ayman Nijim, a protagonist in the film who will be present in person for the Q&A, laments: “In one of the bleakest years in the history of the Palestinian people, and amid compounded ethnic cleansing, collective punishment, and genocide, Gaza has entered the third year of ongoing genocide, ongoing displacement of more than 1.3 million out of 2.3 million people, ongoing aid disruption, and ongoing denials of the sick, the amputated, and the injured to leave for medical treatment overseas.”
“Seeds for Liberation” is not only a conversation with Palestinian protagonists, but a microcosm of the interdependent, intersectional struggle for freedom and self-determination. The documentary shines a light on one of the student movements for Palestine in a visceral way, reflecting the souls of millions across the world and documenting one of history’s largest marches for freedom in Palestine. It delves into history from a sharp angle, leading from the history of a childhood in Gaza to the ongoing genocide.”
To everyone crying out for justice and freedom for all people from oppression, this film is a must-see. It shatters the dominant western narrative and helps us to take a much-needed look at ourselves as U.S citizens, at what our country is doing around the world and what we must do about it.
Tickets are free to the five-college community and just $2-$4 for everybody else, but advance registration is required and donations are welcome. For ticket registration and more information please go to: https://www.
You can also read more here: The Boston Palestine Film Festival Presents Seeds for Liberation, a film by Matthew Solomon