Roger Waters Joins 'Freedom Theatre' Documentary as Executive Producer

Roger Waters, co-founder of Pink Floyd, has signed on as executive producer of Freedom Theatre, the debut feature documentary from filmmaker Rishi Pelham. The film is in the final stages of post-production, with a festival circuit rollout planned, according to Variety.

The documentary follows Ahmed Tobasi — a resistance fighter turned artist who now serves as Creative Director of The Freedom Theatre, a Nobel Peace Prize-nominated theatre company — into the creative heart of the Jenin refugee camp in Palestine. Tobasi fights to keep his theatre open amid imminent destruction. Pelham shot the film over five years, according to Variety.

Suzanne Harb is producing Freedom Theatre in collaboration with Pelham for London-based Bathtub Films. Executive partners Khaled Habayeb and Alaa Alasad of Amman-based Tabi360 are also on board. Bathtub Films previously produced Pelham's award-winning 2019 drama Hilda, which was executive produced by Tim Roth — a signal that this production company has drawn established names into its orbit before.

Pelham co-composed the documentary's original score, which features Palestinian artists including techno DJ and producer Sama' Abdulhadi. The Bathtub Films website describes the project as a "gonzo road-trip documentary," a label that sits slightly apart from the immersive character study described in the Variety report — suggesting the finished film may blend both sensibilities.

Waters' attachment to Freedom Theatre arrives alongside his involvement in a broader industry moment. He is among hundreds of artists who recently signed an open letter calling on the Venice Film Festival to take concrete action in support of Palestine, according to Variety. The Freedom Theatre team will be attending Venice this year for meetings with potential partners — a festival marketplace where sales agents and distributors decide what reaches screens in the months ahead.

For a documentary about a theatre under threat of demolition, the production itself has taken a long road: five years of shooting, a score built with Palestinian musicians, and now a rock legend's name on the credits. The festival circuit will determine where and how widely audiences see it.

No release date has been announced. The film remains in post-production.