Hisham Zreiq

Hisham Zreiq is a filmmaker, poet and visual artist from Nazareth who lives in Germany and is known for the documentary The Sons of Eilaboun and the animated short Don't Cry.

born 1968The documentary The Sons of EilabounThe animated short Don't CryComputer art and poetry

Born: 9 February 1968, Nazareth
Occupation: film director, film producer, screenwriter, poet

Hisham Zreiq was born in 1968 in Nazareth

Hisham Zreiq was born in Nazareth in 1968 and grew up there. His mother, Lydia, taught at an elementary school, and his father, Salem, taught history at a high school. Both were Eastern Orthodox Christians.

He studied computer science and mathematics and works as a software architect. In March 2001 he moved to Germany, where he lives and works.

He began making computer art in 1994 and started showing his work in galleries and museums in 1996. In 2004 he was among the winners of an art prize from Sparkasse Bayreuth, and his work was shown in Hollfeld.

His first film was the documentary The Sons of Eilaboun, which won the Al-Awda award in 2008. He then made short fiction films, including Just Another Day, about Arabs in the Western world after the September 11 attacks. His animated short Don't Cry won more than 30 awards.

In 2018 he wrote a chapter for a book on the oral history of the Nakba, based on interviews from his documentary. In 2023 he started a music project called Goddess Asherah.