Palestine '36

Set during the 1936 Palestinian uprising against British colonial rule, this epic historical drama follows a resilient ensemble of characters. Yusuf (Karim Daoud Anaya), a peasant, straddles two worlds — the bustling city of Jerusalem, and his rural farming village, whose lands are being confiscated by Zionist settlers. Denied fair wages, a Jaffa port dockworker (Saled Bakri, Blue Caftan) joins the rebel movement. Elsewhere, a widowed mother (Yafa Bakri) stashes away an heirloom gun in hopes of defending her family from the British military’s raids.

Shot on location in Palestine and Jordan and interspersed with rare archival footage, the film boasts an exceptional international cast, including Hiam Abbas (Succession), Jeremy Irons (Reversal of Fortune), and Liam Cunningham (Game of Thrones). They help animate a sweeping chronicle of a tangled and complex history.

This is a story of national identity and resistance with contemporary resonance, but it’s also a classic genre movie, its historical tapestry populated by a strong ensemble of screen stars.

Sherry Linden, Hollywood Reporter

Jacir has established herself as a nuanced chronicler of Palestinian life. Palestine 36 addresses her trademark themes – identity, the weight of history – on a much larger scale, combining the conventions of classic period drama with a thorough unpacking of the geopolitical failures that have shaped the region.

Rachel Pronger, Sight & Sound