Unadorned in form yet uncompromising in purpose, Jacir’s invigorating new work about the late ‘30s Arab revolt in Palestine shows that power lies in the clarity with which one reframes both past injustice and present responsibility.
Review #3,057
Dir. Annemarie Jacir
2025 | Palestine | Drama, History, War | 115min | 1.85:1 | Arabic & English
Not rated – likely to be NC16 for mature themes and violence
Cast: Karim Daoud, Anaya Yasmine, Al Massri, Billy Howle, Dhafer L’Abidine, Saleh Bakri, Hiam Abbass, Jeremy Irons
Plot: In 1936, as Palestinian villages revolt against British colonial rule, Yusuf navigates between Jerusalem and his rural home, amidst escalating unrest and a pivotal moment for the British Empire.
Awards: Official Selection (Toronto)
International Sales: Lucky Number
Accessibility Index
Subject Matter: Moderate – British Colonialism; Palestine Resistance; Arab Revolution; Late 1930s Middle East
Narrative Style: Straightforward
Pace: Normal
Audience Type: Slightly Mainstream
Viewed: Screener (as part of SFS Showcase)
Spoilers: No
I had the pleasure of meeting Annemarie Jacir several years ago when I was programming for the Middle East Film Festival, having brought to Singapore what was then her newest film, Wajib (2017). At the time, she mentioned that Palestinians often lead lives preordained by others, and she hoped that one day this would change.
While I understood what she said then, in hindsight, I didn’t fully appreciate what she really meant until these past couple of years. We are now witnessing one of modern history’s most significant shifts in global sentiment, prompted by Israel’s reprehensible actions against Gaza and its neighbours.
Palestine 36 arrives at precisely the right moment, as Jacir’s historical drama takes us back to the years preceding the founding of Israel, just before the outbreak of WWII. More crucially, it reasserts the responsibility of the British Empire in laying the ghastly groundwork for the political oppression and extrajudicial killings of Palestinians.
“Your land is where your people are buried.”
Told with swathes of melodrama that feel less overwrought than All That’s Left of You (2025), Palestine 36 sees Jacir inserting useful textual cues that foreshadow what is to come. More importantly, she incorporates generous stretches of documentary footage from the period—presented in a 4:3 aspect ratio—adding both historical and emotional weight to the dramatisations.
Largely engrossing due to its subject matter, Jacir’s film has few arthouse pretensions and should appeal even to mainstream audiences seeking to better understand the late-1930s period, which has rarely been depicted on screen. The 1936–1939 Arab Revolt in Palestine, in particular, sheds light on how resistance fighters come into being—a necessary force against the disease that is colonialism.
While some may find Jacir’s film structurally and narratively straightforward, its power lies in our (newfound) ability to draw empathetic parallels with the present moment. It is no longer merely a bleak case of history repeating itself; rather, the film invites us to find hope in our changed perspectives and to reframe moral justice.
Grade: A-
Trailer:
Promo Clip:
Eternality Tan 