Aisha's Story

Aisha’s Mill, now co-run by Aisha and her son Ahmed with support from other family members, continues the long family and Palestinian tradition of stone-grinding wheat, other grains, and herbs that are essential to Palestinian cuisine.

Aisha Azzam (Lead, Oral History, Story Consultant) moved as a child with her family to Baqa’a refugee camp near Amman, Jordan, in the wake of the 1967 war. She and her late husband Hassan Alababda took over their stone grinding mill in 1987. Now working with her sons, Aisha has dedicated her life to preparing the fundamental ingredients for Palestinian cuisine and passing along cultural knowledge to the next generations.

Salam Barakat Guenette (Co-producer, Interpreter) grew up in a Palestinian family in exile in Amman, Jordan. She earned an MA in history from the University of Victoria and works for the government of British Columbia. Salam’s research interests are in human migration and the intersection, rather than clash, of cultures.

Elizabeth Vibert (Writer, Director, Producer) is a historian at the University of Victoria and filmmaker whose work focuses on grassroots efforts toward food justice in contexts of colonial inequities, poverty, and climate crisis. Her previous documentary, The Thinking Garden, convinced her of the power of film to share stories of ordinary women doing extraordinary things in the face of such challenges.

Chen Wang (Co-director, Director of Photography) is an award-winning photographer and cinematographer. Chen has worked on dozens of documentaries, short and feature films, and music videos. He grew up in mainland China and now lives in Victoria, British Columbia.

To support Aisha’s Mill, a grassroots initiative to keep Palestinian food culture thriving, click HERE.