Rashid Masharawi—producer of From Ground Zero and one of the leading voices in contemporary Palestinian cinema—returns to the director’s chair with this fable and road movie.

Sami’s carrier pigeon has escaped: convinced that his bird has returned to its original home, the young boy persuades his uncle to help him get it back. Their journey starts from a refugee camp in the West Bank, passes through Bethlehem, the Old City of Jerusalem and ends in Haifa. Through this journey, the absurdity of life under occupation, and ingenuity needed to survive it, shine through. Passing Dreams is a gentle, funny and good-hearted film that believes in the kindness of strangers and salutes a solidarity forged in adversity, capturing the absurdity of life under occupation, and the ingenuity needed to survive it.

All donations from this year’s festival will go to Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS), providing humanitarian assistance as well as health and social services to Palestinians whenever and wherever needed. You can donate when buying tickets.