On The Road with
Nöl Collective
Nöl Collective
Yasmeen recounts: “One time I went to meet a tailor in Ramallah. I went in and I was so rushed and stressed, thinking ‘we need to finish making these things, customers’ orders.’ They were about to sit down to eat breakfast on their sewing table as they worked. During their breakfast, customers would walk in and the tailors continued eating and chatting. They asked me to sit down, have breakfast and a coffee, and I remember thinking, ‘this is so anti-capitalist,’ prioritizing food, pleasure and family.’ It really forced me to change my perspective of production and how to prioritize the people behind the product.”
This is an observational documentary that captures the intricate duality of life in the West Bank—where artisans practice their slow, meticulous craft in moments of stillness and tradition, while the journey to reach them is marked by tension, uncertainty, and the constant presence of the Israeli occupation.
The film follows the work of Nöl Collective, a fashion collective based in Ramallah that collaborates with family-run sewing workshops, artisan studios, and women’s cooperatives across Palestine. Traveling alongside Yasmeen, the film documents her efforts to reach and work with these artisans—navigating military checkpoints, permits, and restricted roads that fragment their daily lives. It is the collective itself that brings visibility to these political realities—revealing how many of the artisans have never met in person, separated by occupation-imposed barriers to movement, limited access to fabrics, and the constant threat to their livelihood.
For those unfamiliar with the everyday texture of Palestinian life, the film offers a rare and intimate lens—through observing. It invites the audience to meet the artisans that bring these garments to life through the routes taken, the conversations shared, the landscapes crossed, and the quiet, beautiful moments of arrival to their homes and workshops.
Director: Raya Shaban
Producer: Michael Zananiri
Director of Photography: Yousef Hammad
Sound: Montaser Abu Allool
Editor: Omri Massarwe
Camera (Cairo): Karim Marold
Sound (Cairo): Ossama Goubail
Animator/visual artist: Darina Jabr
Featuring Nöl Collective
While the full documentary is still on its way, here’s a glimpse of what’s to come:
Support the film
This documentary is a labor of love — made with care and limited resources.If the story resonates with you and you’d like to support it, there are two ways to contribute. Your donations go directly toward the making of the film, and anything beyond our needs will be shared with the artisans who generously let us into their lives and stories.
1. Buy a tshirt by Nöl Collective (Designed in collaboration with Gabriella Bustillos)
https://nolcollective.com/collections/shop-all/products/textiles-tee-fundraiser
2. Send a donation via PayPal
https://www.paypal.me/RayaS001