Annie Sakkab
Annie Sakkab is a Palestinian-Jordanian documentary photographer, cinematographer and filmmaker, passionate about land and water and the intersection between human behavior and the environment. Her work focuses on reimagining the narrative around nature through oral histories, collective memory and Indigenous knowledge, with the aim to protect biodiversity and engage communities.
Sakkab began her career documenting the lives of refugees across the Middle East and North America, working for humanitarian agencies and media outlets. Her early work focused on the economic, political and social challenges faced by displaced people. It was during this time that she witnessed the profound impact of climate change, particularly in Jordan, where rising temperatures, heatwaves and diminishing water resources exacerbated the already dire conditions for refugees. This led Sakkab to shift her work toward environmental issues, specifically exploring the crisis of water scarcity and its effects on local communities. Her documentary focus now centers on land and access to foster a more just society anchored in the premise that collectively caring for the environment can reap the same or even more benefits for all while safeguarding our planet.
A graduate of photojournalism at Loyalist College in Canada and fine arts at Northumbria University in the U.K., Sakkab has participated in prestigious programs such as the Missouri Photo Workshop, Eddie Adams Workshop, Hot Docs Accelerator Emerging Filmmaker Lab, and RIDM Filmmaker Talent Lab. Her work has earned recognition from the News Photographers Association of Canada, National Pictures of the Year Awards and Ontario Community Newspapers Association, among others. Sakkab’s projects are consistently supported through grants including cultural institutions like the A. M. Qattan Foundation in Palestine, the National Film Board of Canada, Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, and the National Geographic Society.
In addition to her creative work, she is a speaker in Canadian educational institutions, where she discusses ethics in photojournalism and filmmaking. Her first short documentary, “Hollie’s Dress,” produced in collaboration with the CBC, premiered at the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Film Festival in 2020. It went on to screen at 48 festivals and won 15 awards. Her second film, “The Poem We Sang,” an experimental documentary exploring intergenerational trauma and post-memory in the context of Palestine, is currently making its festival rounds and receiving accolades. Sakkab is a member of Boreal Collective, Women Photograph and is represented by Middle East Images.
Filmography:
– Hollie’s Dress, 2020, Canada, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival World Premiere, 46 festivals, 15 awards, Supported by The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
– The Poem We Sang, 2024, Canada/Palestine/Jordan, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival World Premiere. f57 estival, 9 awards
Exhibitions:
Places in Between, NUIT BLANCHE, Toronto, Canada
Capture Photography Festival, Vancouver, Cabada
MUSE, A Scotiabank CONTACT Featured Women Group Exhibition, Toronto, Canada
The Missouri Photo Workshop Exhibition, Platte City, USA
PhotoSensitive Aging Photo Group Exhibition, Toronto, Canada
Breaking Down Stereotypes Peterborough, Canada
A Life Reclaimed, Toronto, Canada
Projections – Ghosts of Dubai’s Boom, Toronto, Canada
‘Dislocations’, A Scotiabank CONTACT Curatorial Exhibition, Toronto, Canada
