WHAT:
"TRACES OF HOME, director Colette Ghunim, USA, 2026, 93-minute documentary with an engaging mix of live-action and animation, In English, Spanish and Arabic.
* Most people find the post-film discussion worthwhile – budget two hours for the complete experience.

WHERE:
☀ THE GARFIELD THEATRE, 719 Race St., Cincinnati, OH 45202.
Google Map    Garfield Parking Options

WHEN:
☀ Saturday, October 3 at 7:00
☀ Sunday, October 4 at 4:00

TICKETS:
Adult Tickets are $10.00 in advance, $15.00 at the door. Student Tickets are $8.00 in advance, $12.00 at the door. Tix are available online via the Tix Button, and by phone at (859) 957-3456.

ADA ACCESS & SAFETY PROTOCOLS:
The Garfield is ADA accessible. ADA details and Covid-19 safety information can be found on the CWC Policies Page.

TERMS OF PURCHASE:

Purchase of a ticket confirms acceptance by the purchaser that the presenter/host and their staff will not be liable for any loss, damage, action, claim, cost or expenses which may arise in the consequence of attendance at this event.

Purchaser declares that they will not attend unless in good health on the day of the event. Further, purchaser understands it is impossible to guarantee that they will not be exposed to Covid-19 and will attend at their own risk.

No refunds, no exchange. Outside food and drink is not allowed in the theatre.

Ghunim family members comprise the cast in this documentary. Inspired to answer questions about her own biracial origins, filmmaker Colette Ghunim and her brother Ramsey embark on a journey with her parents, Hosni and Iza, back to Palestine and Mexico to locate their original homes decades after they were forced to leave them.

In 1948 the Nakba (meaning "catastrophe" in Arabic)  took place with the mass displacement, dispossession, and exile of approximately 750,000 Palestinians during the creation of the State of Israel. In the process, approximately 400 vilages were destroyed and over 10,000 were killed.

At that time, when Hosni was four years old, Israeli settlers forced his family to flee their village in Palestine, taking only what they could carry on their 12-hour walk to Lebanon. Eventually he ended up moving to the United States, where he met his wife, Iza.

Iza was born in Mexico City in 1954, where her father was a well-known tailor for celebrities. But behind closed doors, Her father was a troubled alcoholic, severely beating his wife whenever he got drunk. After years of abuse, Iza’s mother fled Mexico to the USA with her children, barely escaping death at the hand of her violent husband.

Growing up near Chicago, Colette and Ramsey had a far different childhood where they could enjoy birthday parties or school events like any other kid in the suburbs. lza and Hosni came from a generation that coped with emotions by burying them, yet emotional absence never meant those feelings ceased to exist. Instead, the unspoken pain surfaced in subtle ways - through their habits, their long silences,and the weight of the expectations they placed on their children. 

    My motivation for making Traces of Home began in 2016, when the first Trump administration started vilifying Arabs and Latinos through discriminatory policies, e.g. the refugee ban, the Muslim travel ban, threats to DACA, and family separations. Knowing that my parents had parallel stories to Trump’s Latino/Arab targets, I felt compelled to share my own parents’ stories of forced migration.

    However, through layered conversations with my family, I was forced to confront my deeper, more personal motivations for returning to explore my parents’ childhood roots and confront my own disconnect to “home”. Growing up removed from my origins, I had never before unpacked how my parents’ childhood trauma shaped all of our lives after fleeing their homelands. I now recognize my mother’s stunted childhood resulted in a strong need to control throughout her life, including her household and her children. I felt uncomfortable being my full self as she scrutinized my behavior and choices. The impossibility of showing authentic emotional vulnerability in my home weakened our relationship and my own self-esteem up until the present.

    On the surface, Traces of Home gives crucial historical context to the ongoing genocide in Gaza, as well as to current stories of forced migration from Mexico and from Palestine. In its deeper layers, the film reflects on buried emotional walls carried down to our generation of children of immigrants and refugees. Discussing this with several first-generation Americans, I realize this disconnect is an all too common outcome of intergenerational trauma.

    Traces of Home is a deeply personal film that strives to articulate feelings of loss of home that my family and I struggle to both admit to and find the words for. Over the past five years of therapy and deep reflection, I have come to the realization that, at its core, making this project was a route to heal the blocked relationship not only with my family, but with myself. By witnessing my path to true self-acceptance, I aim for my community to be able to do the same.

CWC is proud to partner with two excellent restaurants close to the Garfield, each offering discounts for our movie patrons!

SHANGHAI ON ELM

Please welcome Shanghai on Elm to the CWC film family!   One-and-a-half blocks from the theatre at 7th & Elm, this friendly, fun and affordable Asian fusion eatery offers late-night hours: 5 PM-Midnight, Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday; and 5 PM-2 AM, Friday-Saturday. Closed Sunday. Also open for lunch, 11 AM – 2 PM, Monday-Friday.

Perfect for a post film drink or delicious selection from their extensive menu – big-bowl noodle soups, vegetarian and gluten-free dishes, traditional stir fry, fish/scallops/shrimp/prawn, plus all manner of wontons, dumplings, noodles, rice and homemade sauces.

CWC patrons receive a 15% discount on their order, excluding alcohol; The discount is valid only for the date of a CWC screening. Let your server know you are a CWC patron and ask for your discount. Hours and menu subject to change - check before booking. 
RESERVATIONS RECOMMENDED:  513-906-7000,  Shanghai On Elm.

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BUTCHER & BARREL

It couldn't be easier – across the street from the Garfield Theatre, you'll find the Butcher & Barrel, home of delicious shareables, salads, entrees, sides and desserts, plus excellent wine, craft beer and mixed drinks.

CWC patrons receive a 15% discount on their order, excluding alcohol; menu is on the website. Reservations are strongly recommended, especially if you are dining between weekend sessions. You should present your online confirmation or ticket from the event, and let your server know if there are time constraints. The discount is valid only for the date of ticket.

HOURS: MON, closed; TUE-WED-THS, 4-10 pm; FRI-SAT, 4-12 am; SUN, 4-10 pm. The kitchen closes one hour before the restaurant. Hours and menu subject to change - check the website before booking.  RESERVATIONS REQUESTED: 513-954-8974 or thebutcherbarrel.com.