"Born in Palestine. Died in Lebanon." "Born in Palestine. Died in Syria." "Born in Palestine. Died in Jordan." The camera pans across an endless row of white tombstones. The Shadow of Absence takes death as its subject yet in doing so presents a powerful statement about Palestinian life. Weaving elements of his own story of dislocation into the Palestinian collective narrative, filmmaker Nasri Hajjaj reverses the usual focus of the Nakba documentary by exploring the denial of the Palestinian right to death and burial in the homeland.

The Shadow of Absence

An evocative lyrical and visual tribute to the life of late Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish, this thoughtful film by director Nasri Hajjaj takes us on a journey through Darwish's life.  The camera travels through cities and towns the poet lived in, meeting writers and lovers of his work and overlaying the mosaic of memories and reflections with readings of Darwish's works throughout. This heartwarming documentary is a fitting epitaph to a man whose words epitomized the Palestinian experience and inspired people across the world.