What is 'Pillow Dreams', a Palestinian play about the Nakba? | Stories of Al-Nakba
Can a video game make you feel the weight of history? That's the main goal of a new pseudo-3D stealth game called “Dreams on a Pillow”, launched by Palestinian game developers.
The play is inspired by the events of the 1948 Nakba or “catastrophe”, referring to the cleansing of 750,000 Palestinians from their homes in what is now Israel.
It is scheduled to be released in 2026.
So what do we know about the play that comes at a time when Palestinians are hoping that this week's agreement to end the conflict between Hamas and Israel in Gaza, where more than 46,000 people have been killed in 15 months of Israeli bombing of the strip, will really take hold?
Who is behind the game and what is its purpose?
The game is the brainchild of Rasheed Abueideh, a developer based in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
“We are trying to make this game creative,” Abueideh, the game's director and designer, told Al Jazeera. Her last play, Liyla and the Shadows of War, based on the Israeli invasion of Gaza in 2014, was a huge hit.
“It is a difficult matter. And we want to inject all these details with a game that matches the players,” he said.
Abueideh, who is based in Nablus in the West Bank, says he would like the world to understand that Israel's war on Gaza is a direct result of previous events and decisions beyond the October 7, 2023 event.
The show is also an attempt to highlight and share the rich history of Palestine.
Despite his past success, he has had trouble getting funding from mainstream sources. So he pitched in to LaunchGood, a global crowdfunding platform focused on supporting Muslim communities around the world. Dreams on a Pillow reached its funding goal of $194,800 on January 7. At the time of writing, the video game project has raised $218,272.
The current funding for the game is sufficient to start development and should cover the first year's costs including salaries, outsourcing and asset creation.
According to Abueideh, LaunchGood has emerged as one of the few viable options for fundraising efforts, as many mainstream crowdfunding platforms have declined to help.
Content related to Palestine often faces heightened scrutiny and, in some cases, outright banning. Censorship or censorship of pro-Palestinian content is well documented.
In May 2023, a YouTube video made by Palestinian officials, intended to be presented at a meeting of the United Nations Human Rights Council, was removed from the platform. The platform is accused of violating the digital rights of Palestinians.
Investigations by rights groups and media have revealed the removal and suppression of pro-Palestinian content on social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook.
Netflix has removed nearly all 32 films about Palestine from its site. The giant says the removal of the films is due to the expiration of three-year licensing agreements. However, the sudden removal sparked an outcry from human rights organizations and individuals on social media, according to broadcaster TRT World.
why is that @Netflix purges many of its films and content about Palestinians and Palestinians?
Check out all the Palestinian news “coming soon.”
Israel is already trying to exterminate the Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. why is that @Netflix erase Palestine… pic.twitter.com/rXEmcVqvJ8
— Sunjeev Berry (@Sunjeev_Berry) October 13, 2024
What is the story behind Dreams on a Pillow?
The play's central theme is based on Palestinian mythology surrounding the legend of Omm, a young mother fleeing the 1948 Israeli genocide in Tantura, a Palestinian town that is now part of Israel.
While fleeing through other Palestinian villages and refugee camps on his way to Lebanon, he witnessed the events that took place in these communities and cities along the way.
According to Abueideh, the trip serves as a lens through which we see the broader historical context and personal experience of migration during this turbulent time.
Omm's husband becomes a victim of Israeli invaders. Panicking, she rushes home to save her newborn child. In her haste and fear, she flees the city, and later discovers that she was mistakenly holding a pillow instead of her child.
The ending of the story varies greatly depending on the storyteller and the audience. In many versions, the mother is mad. Other versions show his execution or his avoidance of Israeli patrols and military installations, leading to his fleeing his homeland – a place he may never see again.
In a recent Ask Me Anything (AMA) live on Reddit, Abueideh says why Omm was chosen:
“The experiences of the young mother highlight how the Nakba was traumatized, especially the psychological impact it had on her. This adds a deeper layer to the understanding of what happened, shedding light on the emotional and psychological trauma that is often overlooked when discussing the crimes committed,” explained Abueideh.
Zionist forces carried out over 70 massacres that resulted in the deaths of over 15,000 Palestinians leading to the creation of Israel in 1948.
What was the theme of Liyla and the Shadow of War?
In 2016, Abueideh's small team of developers in Palestine released Liyla and Shadows of War for PC and mobile platforms, which were based on Israel's 2014 invasion of Gaza.
The Israeli military operation, named Operation Protective Edge, resulted in the deaths of 2,300 Palestinians and 73 Israelis.
According to Abueideh, Liyla and Nethunzi Lempi were very successful in gaining millions of downloads and was awarded first place for Excellence in Storyboarding for the International Mobile Gaming Awards for Middle East North Africa.
The play is based on the experiences of a Palestinian family during the Israeli military campaign in Gaza, as they struggled to stay alive amidst the conflict and destruction.
“We followed the story of a little girl who lives in Gaza. In the midst of this attack, we try to create an emotional story. “We connect people with what is happening in Gaza, and we show them the decisions you have to make as a Palestinian during the war, and whatever decision you make, it is difficult to survive,” said Abueideh.
Apple initially rejected the Game but reversed its decision after public pressure. Abueideh says Liyla and Shadow of War faced rejection because of their strong political themes.
“The players must face the harsh realities of life in the midst of conflict, challenging them to continue bombardment and gunfire in search of a safe place. The mechanics of the game are not different from other games, even though it is set in the Gaza Strip,” he said.
How is Dreams on a Pillow different from his previous plays?
Although Dreams on a Pillow is based in Palestine like Liyla and Shadows of War, the game's strengths are different.
“In the part you play with this character [Omm] holding a pillow that restricts his ability to do things in the area, but this pillow gives him security,” said Abueideh.
The psychological implications of the Nakba are clearly expressed through the game's narrative design and engineering.
Omm finds comfort and safety when she holds a pillow, a symbol of her childhood. However, when he puts it down, his mood quickly deteriorates. They may suffer from nightmares and hallucinations, which are a reflection of the constant danger and trauma they are experiencing.
His psychological fear is reflected in the game mechanics. In each level, set during the Nakba, you enter a dream state. In this dream, which again takes the form of a play, we see Omm's life before the Nakba, offering a stark contrast to her current experience.
“This is our chance to show Palestinian culture, Palestinian nature. People's habits before the Nakba, and how beautiful the environment was. There is a lie about Palestine that is told in the Western media, 'a world without people, for a people without a land'”, said Abueideh.
“We have to show that Palestine was rich in history and culture, full of its people and their customs before what happened in 1948.”
According to Abueideh, the game will require two years of development with a planned release in 2026. Due to the sensitive nature of the title, it is unclear from the development team which platforms will accept the game.
What happened during the Nakba and the creation of Israel?
On May 14, 1948, shortly after the end of the British Empire, Zionist leaders announced the establishment of the State of Israel. This declaration started the first Arab-Israeli war, after which Zionist forces gained control of 78 percent of historic Palestine.
The remaining 22 percent is divided into two areas: the West Bank, now under control, and the Gaza Strip, which has been reduced to rubble by more than 15 months of relentless Israeli bombardment.
About 750,000 Palestinians were forcibly evicted from their homes and properties following the violence caused by the Zionist forces.
The continued Israeli military control over the Palestinian territories for decades has a negative impact on the daily lives of the Palestinian people. The prolonged occupation and expansion of Israeli settlements on Palestinian land has jeopardized the viability of the two-state solution – the states of Israel and Palestine united together.
