For five years, Basel Abbas and Ruanne Abou-Rahme have immersed themselves in the clandestine archives of the incarcerated. Their research has not been a mere academic exercise, but a meticulous excavation of the songs and poems written by Palestinians held in Israeli prisons from 1948 to the present day. Poetry is not a passive reflection of suffering; it is an active mechanism of survival and a strategic act of resistance against the psychological and physical confines of imprisonment.
The result of this exhaustive study is Prisoners of Love: Until the Sun of Freedom, a multidisciplinary project that blends archival research with a concept the duo describes as expanded cinema. By transforming recordings, interviews and written texts into a sensory experience, Abbas and Abou-Rahme seek to bridge the gap between the isolated cell and the public sphere, treating the act of listening as a way to transcend the walls of the occupation.
This project marks the first performative iteration of their research, moving the work from the archive into a physical space where sound and image are used to dismantle the boundaries of the screen. By focusing on the sonic power of the Palestinian voice, the artists aim to illustrate how art can mobilize hope and collectively imagine alternative futures, even when the immediate reality is one of total confinement.
The Architecture of Expanded Cinema
In the traditional cinematic experience, the viewer is a spectator separated from the action by a rectangular frame. For Abbas and Abou-Rahme, this frame mirrors the very confinement they are exploring. To counter this, they have developed a form of expanded cinema that refuses the limitations of the screen, creating an immersive environment where images and sounds permeate the physical space of the audience.
Sound serves as the primary medium for this transcendence. In the restrictive environment of a prison, sound is often the only thing that can travel through walls and across corridors. By utilizing sonic compositions and recordings, the duo creates an atmospheric pressure that mimics the experience of the “compact prisons” existing within the larger prison of the occupation. This approach allows the audience to feel the weight of the enclosure while simultaneously experiencing the liberating power of the poetry being recited.
The technical execution of the project involves a collaborative effort in cinematography and sound design. Raouf Haj Yahia, along with Abbas and Abou-Rahme, handled the camera work, while Mohammed Nofal provided the essential sound recordings. The resulting work is not a documentary in the conventional sense, but a poetic installation that treats the archive as a living, breathing entity.
From Military Barracks to Performance Space
The choice of venue for the project’s debut is as symbolic as the content itself. The work will be presented at La Balsamine, a site that formerly served as a military barracks. By placing a project about the liberation of the spirit and the fall of prison walls within a former military structure, the artists create a poignant juxtaposition between the history of state control and the persistence of human creativity.
The presentation is structured as a hybrid experience. While the cinematic installation remains a constant, the first three days of the engagement feature a live performance. This segment is created in collaboration with the Palestinian musician Julmud, adding a layer of live sonic improvisation to the archived voices. This interaction between the recorded past and the live present underscores the continuity of the Palestinian struggle and the evolving nature of its cultural resistance.
The production of the work reflects a wide network of international institutional support, highlighting the global interest in the intersection of art and human rights. The project is produced by The Bell / Brown Arts Institute at Brown University, Nottingham Contemporary, and Kunstinstituut Melly, with additional coproduction from the Kunstenfestivaldesarts and the Festival d’Automne à Paris.
Literary Echoes and the Legacy of Jean Genet
The title, Prisoners of Love, is a direct reference to the writings of Jean Genet, the French novelist and playwright who wrote extensively and passionately about the Palestinian cause. Genet, himself a longtime prisoner, understood the unique relationship between incarceration and the creative impulse. By invoking Genet, Abbas and Abou-Rahme align their work with a longer tradition of intellectual and artistic solidarity, acknowledging that the desire for freedom is a universal human constant that transcends borders and eras.
The project posits that poetry is not merely a way to document history, but a way to survive it. Through the study of texts from 1948 onward, the artists have identified a recurring theme: the employ of imagination as a weapon. In the absence of physical movement, the mind becomes the primary site of resistance, and poetry becomes the map used to navigate toward a future where the walls of the prison eventually turn to dust.
Project Credits and Production Timeline
| Role | Contributor(s) |
|---|---|
| Direction & Montage | Basel Abbas & Ruanne Abou-Rahme |
| Live Performance | Basel Abbas, Ruanne Abou-Rahme, Julmud |
| Research | Yara Abbas |
| Sound Composition | Basel Abbas & Ruanne Abou-Rahme |
| Primary Venue | La Balsamine (Kunstenfestivaldesarts) |
The project is scheduled to run from May 24 to May 29, 2026, as part of the Kunstenfestivaldesarts. Following its debut at La Balsamine, the work will move to the Festival d’Automne à Paris, with specific dates yet to be announced.
As the project moves toward its 2026 premiere, it stands as a testament to the power of the archive to inform the present. By giving voice to those silenced by walls, Abbas and Abou-Rahme ensure that the poetry of the incarcerated remains a vital part of the global conversation on freedom and human dignity.
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