The Gaza Strip is not a pleasant place to be at the moment, and certainly not the type of locale in which you would expect to find a vibrant cultural scene. “Extreme poverty prevents potential audiences from paying to attend theater performances, which in turn has forced the closure of many small troupes. Existing film and theater groups struggle daily to survive. Despite the many frustrations, however, the Palestinian theater and film scene is remarkably vibrant; this summer even saw successful film and theater festivals held in both Ramallah and the Gaza strip.”