Yalla Parkour

Alphabet City is screening the documentary Yalla Parkour on Monday, November 2, from 7 PM to 9 PM. It's part of the SCREENSHOT: Asian Film Festival, presented in partnership with Backyard Docs and Pittsburgh Sound & Image.

Yalla Parkour is the work of Areeb Zuaiter, a multinational filmmaker based in Washington, D.C., whose work focuses on art, identity, and social issues. The film starts when Zuaiter comes across footage of young men practicing parkour on Gaza's shores. She reaches out to the team and forms an unexpected bond with one of the athletes, Ahmed. From there, their journeys through a cemetery, a run-down mall, and the remains of an airport become a quest to reclaim memories and explore identity, belonging, and the legacy of a home left behind.

Zuaiter has a background in film and video, with an MA from American University. Her debut short, Stained, won the Jury Award at Beirut's European International Film Festival. Yalla Parkour has picked up its own recognition: it won the Grand Jury Prize in the International Competition at DOC NYC and was selected for the 2025 Berlin International Film Festival.

The screening is at Alphabet City, 40 W. North Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15212, on Monday, November 2, from 7 PM to 9 PM. Tickets are free, and you can choose between attending in person or watching the livestream.