Slingshot Hip Hop by Jackie Reem Salloum

In Slingshot Hip Hop, Salloum tells the story of hip hop bands in different regions of Palestine and Arab cities of Israel. All bands portrayed in the film live close to each other, but most of them are not allowed to travel outside their home city. Through music, they transcend these borders, get permission to perform concerts in other cities and get the chance to meet other groups. Even though the occupation leaves little room for creative expressions of resistance, hip hop creates a new path by combining the history of the conflict, music and daily life, which is always affected by politics.

The documentary has a smooth yet multidimensional narrative: One minute it feels like a Palestine- Israel introduction class with illustrations of the country’s map with the locations of the refugee camps, the next it’s more like an MTV reality series showcasing different music groups. Succesfully entertaining and educating at the same time, the film makes you feel what it’s like to be there.

Slingshot Hip Hop is an eye opener that shows what’s going on behind the scenes and between the lines in Palestine. While following the rappers, stereotypes about Palestinian youth, family life and of course music, collapse. It’s another reminder to the rest of the world that there’s always hope for justice.

Selma Sevkli