Wardi (The Tower)

Synopsis

Based on interviews with Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, this charming, yet at times harrowing, stop-motion animation follows an eleven-year-old Palestinian girl named Wadi. Born in the refugee camp, Wardi’s whole family has lived there since her great-grandfather Sidi settled when he was forced to leave his home in the 1940s during the war. When Sidi gifts her the key to his former house in Galilee, Wardi fears he has lost hope of returning home one day. Hoping to find out more about his past, she talks to her family and encounters several of her neighbors, discovering stories that span three generations. This is an informative film about Palestine’s history and the struggles faced by refugees, while also being a refreshingly humorous and warm story that goes beyond tragedy.