“Palestine ’36” opens at Gateway Film Center Friday. Credit: Courtesy of Watermelon Pictures
“Palestine ‘36,” a period drama directed by Palestinian filmmaker Annemarie Jacir, is the only feature film to have been shot in Palestine in the past two years.
The film will begin screening at Gateway Film Center Friday. It’s set in 1936 during Palestine’s revolt — the largest and longest uprising against Britain’s 30-year colonial rule — and is told from the perspective of three Palestinian families: Yusuf, Hanan and Afra, Khouloud and Amir, and Father Boulous, a Christian priest, and his son Kareem.?
“Colonialism and imperialism, our own betrayals and affairs, we witness the disintegration of a country. In 1936, we lost a part of ourselves,” Jacir said in a press statement. “I wonder did we lose? Did Empire win? This film is about all those things. It is a story of a village, a community of people full of dreams and desires. Ordinary people who find themselves in an extraordinary time. It is a nod to the persistence of the human spirit, the desire of a people to be free. It is our story.”
The film starts off a little slow, obviously setting the scene and establishing characters, but it does begin to pick up pretty quickly. It introduces Yusuf (Karim Daoud Anaya), who goes back and forth between his home village al Basma and the city of Jerusalem, establishing a link between the inner-city and the more rural communities. After losing his father and his brother’s arrest, Yusuf joins the rebels.?
Anaya is a great actor in this film and played the role well. He was not the most notable character though — the women in this film had the strongest performances.?
Yasmine Al Massri was phenomenal as Khouloud. A journalist who writes under the male pseudonym Ahmad Canaanli, because no one would publish her work if they knew she was a woman, Khouloud has some of the most interesting scenes in the film. She writes about Palestinian autonomy and reports on the British’s harsh military efforts, standing her ground and reporting through an incredibly divisive and violent time.?
She is an incredibly powerful character and brings such an interesting perspective to the film. A lot of the history can be learned and lived through her scenes; As a member of the elite, she receives insider information from Thomas (Billy Howle), a British diplomat.?
Tensions between her and her husband Amir (Dhafer L’Abidine), as well as the effect colonial rule had on the press, are intriguing and really demand attention — attention that is quite easy to give.?
Hiam Abbass as Hanan gives another strong female performance, a loving mother who won’t back down to anything, giving her all to protect her family and her home. Even in tough times, she stands strong for her family: a dominant, fearless representation of motherhood.?
Kareem (Ward Helou), gives a phenomenal performance, but his character lacked a lot of backstory. The film does a great job at carrying the story along, but at times it’s hard to see the connection between characters and some relationships seem surface level. With Kareem, it would have been great to see more development between him and Father Boulous, because it would make the outcome more impactful.?
Captain Wingate (Robert Aramayo) gives a great performance and his character plays a crucial role in the film’s story. A cruel, abusive officer, he’s the antagonist of the film and the one that’s the easiest to hate, and Aramayo’s performance is strikingly convincing, showcasing real talent? through a bad character.?
Regardless, the film is worth a watch. It grasps your attention periodically throughout the film and elicits so many different emotions that the inner relationships don’t seem to matter as much. Beyond that, it’s a period piece that is visually pleasing, thought-provoking and culturally relevant, despite its historical setting.?
“I never conceived it as something of the past. It has always been current, relevant and alive,” Jacir said in the press statement. “Sometimes critical, never nostalgic, always searching.”
Rating: 4/5
