Write Down, I am an Arab
Ibtisam Mara’ana Menuhin, Maya Weinberg
2014 - 73 min - Couleur et Noir & Blanc - Israël

This film is about "firsts". After directing seven documentaries about Palestinian women, this is my first film with a male as the subject. Further, this work is the first film about Mahmoud Darwish directed by a Palestinian-Israeli (which Darwish was himself). Lastly, the film reveals for the first time, the story of Mahmoud Darwish’s first love – a Jew.
Mahmoud Darwish is an icon of the Arab world. His words inspired millions around the world, shaped Palestinian identity, and helped galvanize generations of Palestinians to their cause. But what many people do not know is that his first love was a Jewish woman from Haifa.
His poem "Rita and the Rifle" has been very influential in my life, since I also fell in love with the "enemy" myself. As an artist and a Palestinian woman, I too live in a relationship with a Jewish man and in the same reality of ongoing war and conflict that Darwish once lived. "If Mahoud Darwish, the Palestinian poet and refugee, fell in love with a Jewish girl and wrote her poetry, then so can I." That was what I said to legitimize my love.

Going on an intimate journey, “Write Down, I am an Arab” reveals a fascinating tale of history, politics, poetry, and love, unearthing the story behind the man who’s words came to define the Palestinian nation.