Who But When, How
Filmed in multiple locations spanning Israel/Palestine, the United States, and Germany, Who But When, How is an autobiographical work that traces the director's return to Israel in the midst of its catastrophic war in Gaza. As his aging father suffers the onset of dementia, Sharim's visual testimony and poetic meditations on loss are juxtaposed against the conflicted, agonizing histories of Palestine and Israel, and destabilized future. In his reflections, the film engages the wider themes of humanity and mortality as they relate to exile, healing, and the practice of filming. As he questions the possibility of justice, other Palestinian-Muslim voices intersect with his own, forming mirror images of shared struggles with morality and the callousness of war.
"Who but When, How is one of the most remarkable works of cinema and a great gift to people who long for a decent and just world."
-George Lipsitz
"Who but When, How sings and whispers into our ears a call for help, an urgent call to conscience: is there justice?"
-Peter Sellars

Synopsis
Before all is forgotten, before the war within war takes over us, I hold the camera. I try to recognize my childhood home. I try to remember but more to touch one another as suspicion and violence take over our lives, realities, and dreams. Working with communities in Germany, Israel/Palestine, and the USA, we are to be “touched” and get together beyond borders in the face of catastrophic acts and endless violence followed by moral corruption in Israel-Palestine. Who But When, How is where Palestinian-Jewish-Muslim-Arab-Israeli creates a space to redefine their shared sense of loss together with moral grounding. Here, cinema does what governments and army generals cannot foresee, creating a meeting space for deep listening, understanding, and compassion in a world bleaker with each passing day.
Featuring
Fereydoun (Ezra) Sharim
Flora Sharim
Mamu (Turan) Naimi
Jenni Naimi
Sarah Naimi
Tzila Naimi
Yichua Sharim
Nanajan Sharim
Rivkah Sharim
Eliyahu Sharim
Yaacov Sharim
Hana Sharim
Naftali Sharim
Micaela Alvarado-Sharim
Emmanuel Alvarado-Sharim
Lorena Alvarado-Sharim
Eran Zion
Nadav Hayman
Tomer Efroni
Rotem Efroni
Uri Efroni
Asaf Amir
Sivan Rozen
Shiri Rozen
Ahmed Deq
Samira Deq
Jasmin Fatow-Mame
Yasemin Telli
Sahra Fatow
Nagihan Aktürk
Vildana Bandic
Sümeyra Büyükdeniz
Celina El Houmsy
Annina Enders
Mia Fischer
Benushia Gnanapragasam
Mercan Gönülal
Angelina Jürgens
Hannah Klinkenberg
Antonia Johanna Lich
Sarah Nauwald
Julia Priedigkeit
Salma Rbayti
Pia Reichert
Luca Leon Scott
Fairouz Sinouh
Alexander Söhngen
Laxiya Sooriyakumar
Saruka Uthayakumar
Ferial Khaswan
Director
Yehuda Sharim
Original Music & script
Yehuda Sharim
Sound Art
Scott Szabo
Color
Chris Layhe
Poster Design
Oscar Alejandro Torres
Subtitles
Arianna Marino
Creative Assistant
Taara Clarke
Organizers
Elizabeth Michelle Lopez
Margaret Breslau
Executive Producer
Sharim Studio
Who but When, How has been made possible with support from the following organizations
The Henry Luce Foundation
The Houston Community Foundation
The Coalition for Justice, VA
Center for the Humanities, University of California Merced
The Bergische Universität Wuppertal
The Obama Institute - Mainz University
Tech Specs
HD-Digital, Color & Black and White
Filmed in: USA, Germany, Israel-Palestine
Year: 2024
Running time: 01:45:34
Ratio: 16:9
Digital frame rate: 23.976
Screening format: Blue-Ray, DCP, DVD
Language: English, German, Arabic, Farsi, and Spanish
Subtitles: English
Stills from the film
Explore captivating stills from our film's journey.