STARTING THE CONVERSATION

In the documentary Mayorthe Christian mayor of Ramallah, Musa Hadid asks, “How do you run a city without a country?” After watching this story, how would you answer this question? How does Mayor Hadid run his city?

In his statement, filmmaker David Osit says that Ramallah, “thoroughly pierces the Western narrative as to what “The Middle East” is “supposed” to look like.”

• What do you see as the most common Western Narrative about the Middle East?
• Do you agree with him that Ramallah represented in the film differs from that narrative? Why or why not?

LOCAL AND MUNICIPAL LEADERSHIP

• From what you saw in the film, how would you describe the job of the Mayor of Ramallah? What are the day-to-day duties and concerns of the Mayor?
• How does the role of a city’s elected official differ from that of a national elected official with regard to considerations, duties, and responsibilities? Accountability? Other aspects of leadership?
• What are your observations about the effectiveness of local governance and municipal services in Ramallah?
• Think about Mayor Hadid’s interactions with Ramallah’s citizens on the street throughout the film. What do those interactions tell you about the nature of local leadership?

LIFE UNDER OCCUPATION

In the film, a Ramallah resident says, “I filed a report against the Israeli settlers because they’re polluting our irrigation water. They burnt our olive trees and our water is all polluted. I filed a report but it’s all in vain.”

• In what ways does the Israeli occupation influence daily life of the people of Ramallah?
• How does it affect Mayor Hadid’s ability to achieve his vision for Ramallah?

In response to officials from a German delegation suggesting that the Mayor ask Ramallah citizens to take part in a photo opportunity with Israeli youth “to educate the Israeli public,” Mayor Hadid declines and shares,

“It’s about dignity and when it comes to the dignity of yourself it’s not acceptable. When we feel we are not treated as slaves and they are masters, we are ready to do everything. But, when I have to take my clothes off in front of all the people under the threat of a 16 year old soldier and his weapon, then it’s about dignity. When it comes to dignity it is something not negotiable.”

• What do you think the German delegation hoped Israelis would learn from the photo?
• What do you learn about the nature of Palestinian resistance to the occupation from his answer?

What scenes in Mayormake visible Israeli occupation? What are your reactions to these moments?

THE MEANING OF A CITY’S IDENTITY

What do you think the park and the fountain that Mayor Hadid works so hard to develop represents to him? To the people of Ramallah?

The film opens with a discussion about city branding. Mayor Hadid says, “City branding means that whenever you look at something in Ramallah, you automatically identify that it refers to Ramallah. Traffic lights. Sidewalks. Trees, street signs. This is city branding.”

• What do you think is the meaning of ‘city branding’?
• How does a city’s brand influence the experience of a city’s citizens? • Why does a city’s identity matter?

After watching the film, what suggestions might you make with regard to a city brand or slogan for Ramallah?

The Trump administration’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel becomes a major event in the film. What is the significance of a nation’s capital city? How is that concept complicated in Ramallah, which is the administrative, but not the symbolic, capital of Palestine?

CLOSING QUESTION

What aspects of Ramallah are emblematic of cities anywhere? Of your city? What is different?