Aisha Azzam is a Palestinian woman living in the Baqa’a refugee camp in Jordan. Her life is tied closely with food, memory, and cultural continuity. Aisha’s grandmother fled Palestine during the 1948 Nakba carrying the family quern, a large grinding stone. Decades later, Aisha works in the family grain mill she and her husband established 35 years ago, still using her mother’s quern as a teaching tool for the children of Palestinian refugees. Aisha’s mill grinds heritage grains and herbs that form the foundation of Palestinian cuisine, serving the surrounding community. Through the acts of harvesting, milling, cooking, and shared meals, the documentary traces the history of displacement and the rebuilding of family life in exile. Conversations with friends about ingredients and preparation further situate food as a living archive. The film presents food as a means of preserving identity, strengthening community bonds, and sustaining Palestinian culture across generations.
Filmmaker Elizabeth Vibert did a fantastic job of bringing the food documentary format to the lives of Palestinians living in Jordan. She picked a fascinating subject in Aisha, a woman with a strong sense of history and cultural responsibility. Aisha and the women of her family are put front and center throughout the film, grandmother and children adding their own details and experiences to the overarching story of Palestinian expulsion. Aisha’s love of food and family is clear from the film’s beginning, making her incredibly relatable to anyone who loves to spend time in the kitchen. The hearth–or in Aisha’s case, the mill–is at the heart of human relation from the oldest of proto-humans to the most modern examples of Homo sapiens. Our food and how it is prepared is one of the earliest and longest-lasting examples of culture anywhere in the world: We are what we eat. Both as an outstanding food documentary and as a slice of Palestinian history, Aisha’s Story belongs on library shelves. Highly Recommended.
Why should public libraries consider adding this Palestinian refugee documentary to their collections?
Aisha’s Story is a profound exploration of how cultural identity is preserved through the tangible rituals of food and labor. By documenting Aisha Azzam’s work in her family grain mill within the Baqa’a refugee camp, the film provides a human-centric perspective on the Palestinian diaspora and the enduring legacy of the 1948 Nakba. The presence of the family quern—a physical artifact carried across borders—serves as a powerful symbol of resilience that will resonate with patrons interested in Middle Eastern history, refugee narratives, and culinary anthropology. Libraries looking to diversify their documentary collections with stories that balance geopolitical history with intimate, relatable human experiences will find this "living archive" to be a highly recommended addition.
Is this Palestinian refugee documentary suitable for community or classroom screenings?
Yes, the film is exceptionally well-suited for a wide range of educational and community settings. Its focus on the "hearth" and the universal language of food makes complex historical themes like displacement and exile accessible to general audiences, including students and community groups. Educators in history, sociology, and cultural studies can use Aisha’s narrative to illustrate the concept of "cultural continuity" and the ways in which marginalized communities rebuild family life in exile. Furthermore, the film’s multigenerational focus—featuring Aisha’s grandmother and children—provides a holistic view of how history is passed down, making it an excellent catalyst for discussions on memory, heritage, and the sociological importance of traditional foodways.
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