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

Trailer of Who But When How

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.