SHIPWRECK

A story by Sama Haddad, Yara Aboud & Sharon Rose
This piece is part of the “Fields of Gestures” issue

This project holds a special place in my heart. First off, it sparked a beautiful creative relationship between me, Yara, and Sharon. Yara is an architect I have known from Haifa for a very long time. I reached out to her to be the stylist because I love her personal style and attitude. She took on the project without hesitation and pushed its limits more and more while working with the designers. She was also much more than just the lead stylist, quickly turning into the creative and production partner. Sharon, as you know, is an icon. It was an honor that she agreed to be our protagonist, and she was the perfect fit. From her photos, it is very obvious she is a master of her craft, but she is also insightful, extremely smart, and a girls’ girl. Since then, the three of us have embarked on several creative quests.

Second, the idea of this storyline sparked about a year ago while witnessing the ongoing genocide on Gaza. As an artist, I feel very limited in what I can offer to help the world, especially under the occupation. Art might not save us, but at least it’s a way to send a message. During the war, it just became more apparent how close we are to Gaza, and I have always found comfort in the sea. From the Haifa shore to the Gaza shore, it is only 165km away. I had recently read about a mermaid from Syria, and imagined how easy it would be for a mermaid to travel between Haifa and Gaza. Or how a mermaid could be besieged as well. Taking inspiration from old Levantine folklore, I reimagined the Palestinian mermaid – a woman who appears from the sea in times of great distress. Sometimes to guide and sometimes to warn. A feminine mystique, witness to generations of collective grief, she stirs fear in the hearts of men who harm. She is a symbol of the unconscious: the alluring, dangerous depths of emotion, femininity, and the deep oceans.

There was something more alarming about imagining how deep apartheid could run, especially crossing the deep sea. Originally, we wanted the project to be “Mermaid of the Dead Sea.” We scouted the Dead Sea a couple of times, but unfortunately found that it has been completely abused and ruined – letting factories use it as just a mere resource, and not treating it as one of the most wonderful natural reserves in the world. That was disappointing, but we quickly kept scouting. We found a beach off the shore of two uprooted villages – Sarafand & Tantoora. It has beautiful shores full of seashells, caves, and an abandoned ship. We found it had the magic we were looking for, and so we locked the location. The fact that it was the shore of an uprooted village fit the story as well – an abandoned mermaid in an abandoned home occupied by colonizers.

It’s also important to note that the garments were custom-made by three Palestinian designers: Hazar Jawabra, Islam Nashef, and Yusuf Zuluf. The materials used are latex, lace, human hair, and metal, all of which relate to the ocean and the Palestinian narrative. Hazar’s garments were created through crochet and weaving, similar to her signature style, but with funkier materials. Yusuf’s garments are made of lace, signaling both the mermaid’s mourning period and her release. While Islam’s piece embodies the shedding of her skin.

In addition to the talented fashion designers, a team of creatives came together to bring this vision to life. Our makeup artist, Boogie Ash, created the character’s dark, alluring look, alongside hair stylist Asyd Abd Elquader. From afar and through various Zoom calls, Taline Sharaf helped us sharpen the styling with her expertise and unique vision. Saleh Saadi captured the essence of the project in his BTS film, showing the team working diligently from day to night while enjoying the creative process and each other’s company. Malak Jabareen, Lily Benson, Firas Habib, Roa Abu Ahmad, and May Jabareen were the support we all needed to complete the day, taking care of our well-being and the production challenges and logistics. All in all, this project was once again proof that the creative community in Palestine is strong and talented, and that it will always invent the opportunities it seeks to pursue.