Opening in NYC at DCTV’s Firehouse Cinema on April 26, 2024!

LYD is a feature-length, speculative documentary that follows the rise and fall of Lyd (alternatively Lod, as it is now called), a 5,000-year-old metropolis that was a bustling Palestinian town, until it was taken over by the state of Israel. As the film unfolds, residents create a tapestry of the Palestinian experience of this city and exemplify the trauma left by the 1948 massacre and expulsion. Vivid animations envision an alternate reality where the same people live free from the trauma of the past and the violence of the present. Using never-before-seen archival footage of Israeli soldiers who carried out the massacre and expulsion, the personified city explains that these events were so devastating that they fractured reality, and now there are two Lyds — one occupied and one free. As the film cuts between fantastical and documentary realities, it ultimately leaves the viewer questioning which future should prevail. LYD dares to ask the question: what would the city be like had the Israeli occupation of Lyd never happened?

“This film is an important document of time and should be screened widely. What makes Lyd stand out from other documentaries on this topic is the way the filmmakers audaciously weave together different forms of storytelling.” —International Federation of Film Critics

“A cinematic achievement that breaks down the wide divide between documentary and science fiction.” —The National

“Lyd is a haunting and unusual documentary, comprising various styles to tell the story of the once beautiful ancient city of Lyd and its gradual devastation under Israeli settlement.” —City Hub (Australia)

“It is a harrowing watch, but a vital one if the goal is gaining greater understanding the history of Israel-Palestine conflict.” —ScreenHub (Australia)