17th ALFILM Opening: Palestine 36

Das sagt der/die Veranstalter:in:

It is 1936. Palestine stands on the verge of revolution. Enraged by the violent grip of British colonial rule and the influx of Zionist settlers—seizing land and taking control of labor under British auspices—large segments of the indigenous population feel compelled to resist in the hope of liberation. Workers’ strikes erupt across cities and towns. Men and women take up arms. In Jerusalem, Yusuf (Karim Daoud Anaya) advocates for his village, whose suffering under British retaliatory measures has become deeply agonizing. Confronted with the indifference of segments of the Arab urban elite to side with the revolution or lend support, Yusuf and his family are forced to face a tragic fate shared by the entire nation: one marked by destruction and displacement, yet sustained by an unyielding determination to live in freedom and dignity.

An epic historical drama tracing the genesis of the Nakba and the colonial roots of the present Palestinian condition, Jacir’s film features an international cast including Hiam Abbas, Liam Cunningham, and Dhafer L’Abidine, and was Palestine’s official submission for Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards (2026).