Waiting for Giraffes
Directed by Marco de Stefanis
Festival Information
Who doesn’t love a zoo? That’s the subject of this film, the only zoo that sits within the Palestinian territories in the city of Qalqilya in the West Bank. The myth of the lost giraffe stems from the Second Antifada, and its present-day operations are focused on trying to earn accreditation for the zoo from EAZA, a European organization that will allow the zoo unprecedented access to certain animals and open up relations with other zoos around the world. A big part of the application involves a partnership with the Jerusalem Zoo, one that serves as an inspirational example of dynamic collaboration. The film repeatedly polls Palestinians about what animals they would like to see in the zoo, but its real heart comes from the seriousness with which the zookeepers and veterinarians take a site visit that notes problems they must address that have nothing to do with their political or geographic situation, showing just how committed they are to creating a substantial and educational environment for all of their visitors.
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