I Was Interested in Seeing How the Stones, the Trees, and the Sun Could Be Witnesses

The Sun and the Looking Glass: For One Easily Forgets But the Tree Remembers (2020, 23 min) was conceived and filmed on a hill above a small Palestinian village called Ein Qiniya, northwest of Ramallah, which has existed since the Roman era. Its name originates from the presence of four springs in the village. Desse was a resident fellow at Sakiya, a pedagogical organization dedicated to art, science, and agriculture based in Ein Qiniya. The organization takes its name from a large area of land on a hillside that is part of Ein Qiniya and is also called Sakiya. Because it’s in Area C, on which Palestinians aren’t allowed to build, Sakiya has reverted to being wild and rich with diverse vegetation.

The film’s principal character is a tree called the qaiqab, which is common to the Middle East. These trees can live as long as 400 years; the particular one in the film is about 200 years old. The tree is a silent witness to time.