"Al-Bassa and Dbayeh, Stories from the Sea to the River Project, 2022

This video documents an interview conducted by Tarek al-Bakri and Bayan Sukkar with Boulus al-Deek, a resident of the Palestinian refugee camp in Dbayeh, Beirut, originally from the forcibly displaced village of al-Bassa. During a video call, al-Bakri connected with Sukkar and al-Deek, taking them on a virtual tour of the depopulated village. Throughout the call, Boulus al-Deek shared memories of his life of al-Bassa, especially recalling the Orthodox and Catholic churches, the mosque, and Maqam al-Khader (Shrine of al-Khader), sacred to both Christian and Muslim villagers. He also reminisced about the ancient Roman olive groves, the village cemetery, and the British airfield that once neighbored the village. Throughout the session, al-Deek recited verses of poetry he composed, expressing his deep longing for Palestine and al-Bassa. The video was produced by Shagaf for Digital Expression in collaboration with the "We Were and Still Are... Here" initiative and the Campji platform in 2022, as part of the "Stories from the Sea to the River" project, funded by the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development and supervised by Taawon (Welfare Association).