The Film Club: Foragers

In collaboration with the Tempo Documentary Festival, Moderna Museet will show “Foragers” by the filmmaker Jumana Manna. Shot at the Golan Heights, in Galilee and Jerusalem, Manna uses fictive and documentary scenes to portray the prohibition on picking ’akkoub and za’atar (thyme), herbs used in traditional Palestine cooking.

Harvesting wild herbs is banned by the Israeli authorities, ostensibly because the plants have become increasingly rare – but the local population sees these laws as yet another form of harassment that further alienates them from their land. Therefore, they go on picking herbs, as an act of non-violent rebellion.

With “Foragers”, Jumana Manna captures the joy, community and knowledge of the food traditions that motivate the foragers to defy the ban, even risking serious consequences such as fines, questionings, and court procedures. Who has the right to decide what is allowed in nature? And what is most under threat of extinction – a herb or a tradition?

The Stefan Jarl International Documentary Award

“Foragers” has been nominated for the Stefan Jarl International Documentary Award, Tempo’s competition category for international feature-length documentaries. Eight films, all from different countries, are participating this year.

The award sum is 2,000 EUR, and the winning director is presented at the final festival gala on 11 March 2023.