Pink Floyd frontman Roger Waters has co-produced "Beyond the Walls," the inaugural project from Watermelon Pictures, a new production company dedicated to producing and distributing films by Palestinian filmmakers.
The company's founder is Alana Hadid, a Palestinian-born fashion designer.
Watermelon Pictures' debut project is the documentary "Beyond the Walls," which explores the art hotel of the same name in Bethlehem. This hotel, a project by the renowned street artist Banksy, sits adjacent to the wall dividing Israeli and Palestinian territory. Banksy personally designed the facility and adorned it with his iconic graffiti. The film sheds light on the lives of Palestinians residing near the hotel. American director of Palestinian-Italian origin Vin Arfuso is helming the project, with producers including Roger Waters, Kweku Mandela (grandson of former South African President Nelson Mandela), and Anwar Hadid (brother of Alana). Scheduled for limited release in May 2024, the film aims to offer a platform for marginalized artistic voices.
Alana Hadid states, “Our objective is to create a sanctuary for the voices of artists advocating for creative resistance. Through our films, we aspire to enlighten and empower audiences worldwide to speak out against injustice.”
The company's official statement emphasizes that the Watermelon Pictures brand symbolizes "the resilience of Palestinian culture, epitomizing the iconic fruit that mirrors the colors of the Palestinian flag."
