Rolla is an award-winning filmmaker, a Sundance alumna, and a Palestinian American with deep, maternal roots in Jerusalem. She is the founder of the Safina Filmmaker Project, an initiative to raise the voices of Palestinian filmmakers through free artistic mentorship.

We talk about what it takes to continue to ignore and be silent about the suffering and oppression of others, the way we as a society are lulled into complacency, and the hope we have in seeing the world come together as it has never before. Rolla’s storytelling is rooted in heartbreaking truths as well as inspiring artistry, which we’ll surely be seeing in her next feature film, The Visitor.

Rolla's joy in her Palestinian heritage is palpable and I am honored to share our conversation with you here.

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