Quick Facts
Biography
Hisham Zreiq (Arabic: هشام زريق, Hebrew: הישאם זרייק; born 9 February 1968 in Nazareth), also spelled Zrake, is an award-winning Palestinian Christian Independent filmmaker, poet and visual artist. He began working in computer art in 1994, and in 1996 started exhibiting his work in galleries and museums.
In 2007 he filmed his first documentary, The Sons of Eilaboun, and in 2008 he created the short film Just Another Day, dealing with the life of Arabs living in western world after September 11 terror attacks. He uses his poetry and visual art in his films, as in Just Another Day, and was a member of the Culture Unplugged film festival panel.
Early life
Zreiq was born in Nazareth, the son of Lydia Zreiq (née Dubayah), an elementary school teacher, and Salem Zreiq, a history high school teacher, both his parents were Palestinian Eastern Orthodox Christians. Zreiq has two sisters and two brothers. Zreiq is married and has one son.
Zreiq Studied Computer Science and Mathematics, and works as a software architect. In March 2001 Zreiq went to Germany, where he lives and works.
Awards and honors
In 2004 Hisham Zreiq was one of the winners of the award "Kunst- und Förderpreis Sparkasse Bayreuth", and his work was exhibited Kunst & Museum Hollfeld.After the premiere screening of his first film "The Sons of Eilaboun" in Nazareth, Hisham Zreiq was honored by Ramiz Jaraisy, the mayor of Nazareth, and by Dr. Hana Sweid, an Israeli Arab politician and member of Knesset from Eilaboun. Ramiz Jaraisy described the film as an important work which tells the Palestinian story in a contrast with the dominant Israeli version. His film won the Al-Awda award in Palestine 2008, and in April 2012 Hisham Zreiq was chosen to be the artist of the month in the magazine This week in Palestine. His films were screened in several festivals and events, such as:
- Sixth Annual International Al-Awda Convention 2008, California, United States
- Boston Palestine Film Festival 2008, United States
- International İzmir Short Film Festival 2008, Izmir, Turkey
- Amal The International Euro-Arab film Festival 2008, Spain
- Carthage Film Festival 2008 (Palestine: To remember section), Carthage, Tunisia
- Regards Palestiniens, Montreal, Canada
- Chicago Palestine Film Festival, 2009
- 13th Annual Arab Film Festival, 2009
- Sixth Twin Cities Arab Film Festival, Minnesota, USA
- Salento International Filem Festival, 2010, Italy
- Palestine Film Festival in Madrid, 2010, Spain
- 18th Damascus International Film Festival, 2010, Syria
- Al Ard Doc Film Festival, 2011, Cagliari, Italy
- Toronto Palestine Film Festival, 2012, Toronto, Canada
Some of Zreiq's works were featured in the book ArtWanted.com Creative Minds
Non-film activities
Zreiq is a software architect and learned his trade in Israel at the Technion and Haifa University, and worked for almost 10 years in Israel in hi-tech companies.