International Affairs Forum Hosts Palestinian documentary and filmmaker Q&A
TRAVERSE CITY — The International Affairs Forum (IAF) at Northwestern Michigan College (NMC) is proud to partner with On The Ground Global for a screening of the documentary Land of Canaan with filmmaker Q&A on May 14 at Milliken Auditorium in Traverse City.
“This project – and interaction with visiting filmmakers – represent a rare opportunity to bring humanity and compassion into public dialogue, around a region that has seen so much inhumanity, today and over many generations," said Alexander Tank, Director of the International Affairs Forum at NMC. “Our partners at On The Ground Global have developed lasting, impactful relationships with Dr. Nasser Abufarha, the film’s protagonist. We are so honored to collaborate and shine light on this story for our community. This free event is a continuation of IAF’s investment in public discourse on the difficult issues we face as Americans and global citizens.”
On The Ground Global, founded by Chris Treter, has developed a long-standing partnership with Nasser Abufarha through shared work supporting Palestinian olive farmers, including expanding fair-trade markets, replanting olive trees, and strengthening farmer cooperatives through Canaan Fair Trade. This collaboration—also central to The People and the Olive—has connected Midwestern communities directly with growers in the West Bank, bringing depth and lived experience to the film Land of Canaan and the dialogue this event encourages.
About the film & filmmakers
May 14 | Land of Canaan
This documentary feature film presents a rare and intimate view of Palestinian farmers and their ancient olive trees - symbols of resilience, heritage, and home. Faced with ongoing political violence and the loss of their land, a visionary olive farmer in the occupied West Bank brings thousands of small-scale olive farmers together in fair trade cooperatives that connect them to global markets and create a future for their families, one that is life-affirming and nurtures their ancestral relationship to the land and the ancient olive trees they serve.
Nasser Abufarha, Ph.D., Protagonist & Producer, Anthropologist
Dr. Nasser Abufarha was raised among the olive groves of Jenin. Abufarha founded Canaan Palestine, the world’s first fair‑trade and organic olive oil company. Through his work he has connected more than 2,000 small‑scale Palestinian farming families to global markets, brought Palestinian olive oil to international recognition and funded scholarships and women’s cooperatives. His vision of sustainable, community‑based trade has been celebrated worldwide and is even more relevant today as conflict threatens to sever farmers from their land.
Maggie Lemere, Director
Award‑winning filmmaker and oral historian Maggie Lemere is a National Geographic Explorer and co‑founder of the Rhiza Collective. Lemere’s storytelling focuses on the intersections of humanity and the environment; she is currently directing Land of Canaan, “a National Geographic Society‑supported feature film about Palestinians’ relationship with ancient olive trees” . In a recent interview, she said that making the film has become one of the hardest things she has ever done; as violence escalated in the West Bank the project “became a historical document … because of the horrible escalation of violence in the communities where we filmed”. Lemere’s approach uses oral history to foreground love, joy and connection rather than trauma alone, revealing a seldom‑seen side of contemporary Palestine.
Event Details
Date: May 14
Time: 6 p.m. reception w/ olive oil sampling | 6:30 p.m. film screening | 8 p.m. filmmaker Q & A
Location: Milliken Auditorium, The Dennos Museum, 1410 College Dr, Traverse City
Cost: This event is free and open to the public. Register in advance at tciaf.com.
Reception in-kind donors
- Canaan Palestine Olive Oil
- Common Good Bakery
- Higher Grounds Trading Co.
Release date: April 30, 2026
For more information:
Alexander Tank
Director, International Affairs Forum at Northwestern Michigan College
(231) 995-1844
atank@nmc.edu
Chris Treter
Co-founder, On The Ground Global
chris@highergroundstrading.com