Since I have left to Berlin at the end of the summer, I have been back to Jenin twice, once in October and once now, at end of November, to supervise the construction works.
The visit in October was most effective. Within a week, the stage was enlarged by a steel/wood construction. It was amazing how fast the ironworks and the wooden decking was ready. Here in Jenin, I found the most incredible metal-works company owned by the Jalbuni family, who supported the project from the very beginning by generous donations. With their help, we are also restoring the old cast-iron cinema chairs. Their excellent equipment makes it possible to do almost anything.

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Having been introduced to “PROJECT CINEMA JENIN“ by a feature in 3sat’s “Kulturzeit“, my wife Angela and myself decided to spend two weeks working in Jenin during this summer. After visiting Marcus and Annette in Tübingen and after the exchange of lots of mails and phonecalls, our trip started August 4th with our Elal flight from Munich to Tel Aviv, our luggage filled with donations. After the first night in the beautiful “Austrian Hospice“ in Jerusalem’s Arabic Quarter, we met with Annette and 15 boys and girls from “Leibniz-Kolleg“ who also had decided to work as volunteers for CJ. The young folks started a short trip through Israel, so Angela, Annette and myself, we went to Jenin by bus. After a very hot three-hours-trip we were welcomed by Achim and Johannes and introduced to all the friendly Palestinian workers and volunteers. Angela, Annette and myself, we really were the first three people who ever slept in the Guesthouse! The next night, Achim joined us, and some days later the “Leibniz-Kolleg“ volunteers arrived.

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For the opening festival from the “cinema jenin” in august 2010, we are planning a small theatre play which should be performed in the cinema!

In Summer 2008, in the Cuneo Center in the Jenin Refugee camp, me and Ziad Bakri decided to start the first theatre workshop with children from the camp. When we arrived Ismael, had already collected a group of actors who were joining in a mask workshop. Ziad was by my side to translate. You could feel that he also loves children a lot which is very important anyway…

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Salam aleikum! Shukran! Affuan! These are familiar words to all of us in the guesthouse. It is sufficient to make people smile in the street and shops, but after a wile, you really want to learn more. So we found out that literally around the corner there is a language school, the Student’s Scientific Society Center SSSC. The other day, we kindly have been invited to talk about our future cooperation, to get to know the teachers, their approach and the location. So Felix – who by the way speaks a fluent Arabic and myself (whom you will rarely see on any photo because I am always taking them), we went to school again…

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After incredible, never ending thunderstorms (and a serious cold snap) the trees started to flourish as rapidly as our stage in the cinema – it’s just amazing – have a look!

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