The film transports viewers to 1936, during the height of the Great Palestinian uprising against British Mandate rule.
Annemarie Jacir’s historical drama Palestine 36, set during the 1930s Palestinian uprising against British colonial rule and Zionism, has been selected as the opening film of the 30th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), which begins in Thiruvananthapuram on December 12.
The film, which won Best Film at the Tokyo International Film Festival and served as Palestine’s submission for Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards, marks Jacir’s return to IFFK. Her earlier film Wajib, which won the festival’s top prize—the Golden Crow Pheasant—in 2017, will also be screened as part of a special showcase featuring past Suvarna Chakoram winners.
Set against the 1936 Arab Revolt, Palestine 36 tells the story of Yusuf, a young man caught between his agrarian roots and the politically charged landscape of Jerusalem. The narrative unfolds during a critical period of Mandate Palestine, shaped by British rule, rising Jewish immigration from fascist Europe, and Palestinian demands for independence—developments that would influence the region’s future and signal a key shift for the British Empire.
The film is an extensive international co-production involving partners from Palestine, the UK, France, Denmark, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Jordan. Its cast brings together a diverse ensemble that includes Hiam Abbass, Kamel El Basha, Saleh Bakri, Yasmine Al-Massri, Jeremy Irons, Dhafer L’Abidine, Billy Howle, Game of Thrones actors Liam Cunningham and Robert Aramayo, Syrian actor Jalal Altawil, and newcomers Yafa Bakri and Karim Daoud Anaya.
Jacir described Palestine 36 as the most demanding project of her career, noting that it was created “with so many collective hands and hearts” during “a year of blood, violence, and death.” The film is produced by Ossama Bawardi, with a team of co-producers across multiple countries. It was made through Philistine Films, Autonomous, Corniche Media, MK Productions and Snowglobe, with cinematography by Hélène Louvart and music by Ben Frost. MAD Distribution is handling its Arab world release.
The 30th edition of IFFK will also feature Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof as Chairperson of the International Competition jury. Rasoulof, whose body of work has earned eight awards at the Cannes Film Festival, most recently won four awards for The Seed of the Sacred Fig last year.
