December 21, 2013

Imwas / Canada Park

Imwas / Canada Park & Zochrot

Video by Melissa Morris and Devora Neumark
Photographic stills and video footage by Eléonore Merza
With special thanks to Eitan Bronstein Aparicio
Financial support provided by the Goddard College Faculty Development Fund

 

Canada Park was built upon the grounds of three destroyed Palestinian villages, two of which were razed during the Six Day War in 1967 and the third partly demolished in 1948 and never rebuilt. More than 10,000 indigenous Palestinian inhabitants were expelled. The Jewish National Fund (JNF – KKL) of Canada maintains the park.

For years the JNF – KKL official signage in the park only pointed to the history of the Roman Empire even though building remnants of the more recent ruins are still visibly apparent. Only recently, following a petition submitted by Zochrot, a sign mentioning Imwas and Yalu was installed at the edge of the grounds.

Despite the available picnic table nearby, not one person approached during the three-hour performance.

Video: Imwas / Canada Park (dur. 02m45s)

Installation video can be seen here.