Emwas: Restoring Memories

Emwas is a personal film that follows the journey of the director, Dima Abu Ghoush, as she rebuilds her demolished hometown from the memories of its people. The film follows the journey of the director, Dima Abu Ghoush, as she rebuilds her demolished hometown, Emwas, in the form of a maquette (model). Dima was born in Emwas, but she was forced to leave it when she was two years old, along with the town’s inhabitants, on the second day of the 1967 war. All her life she heard stories about Emwas, but she only knew it as a public park, for that’s what the Israeli government turned the village into, some years after it demolished it. In 2009, Dima decided to rebuild Emwas in the form of a model/ maquette, with the help of her family and friends. The film succeeds to bring the demolished village to life through the memories of its people, and raises questions about the future of Emwas and its people who still dream to return to it.