
Palestinian films to open your eyes
SLOUGH, ENGLAND:
With all the horror still unfolding in Gaza despite news of a ceasefire, there is only so much of a picture that mere newsprint can paint. Turn that picture over to the consummate hands of a filmmaker, however, and you will watch that very picture spin into a haunting true-to-life story you are unlikely to forget in a hurry.
The beauty of film
Conjuring up a gamut of emotions by piercing an arrow to the very humanity of the brutality shrouding the region – the loss of life, assault on dignity, and breakup of families – these Palestinian-centric films will take you to a place where no photographs, headlines, or social media posts can ever hope to. As a mark of the grit that went into bringing them to fruition, they have been in the spotlight at film festivals and gained traction wherever awards are disseminated.
Some of these films may not yet have a distributor, but as Palestinian-American director Cherien Dabis pointed out at the Sundance Film Festival, their stories deserve to be told. They are not for the faint of heart, but such films are mandatory watching for whoever wants to gain a deeper understanding of the deep-rooted effects of displaced Palestinian identity. Space does not permit paying homage to them all, so join us as we take a closer look at a select few of the recent projects that understood their assignment, totally and completely.
'All That's Left Of You'
One of two Palestinian offerings to premiere at this year's Sundance festival, this Dabis directorial tells the haunting tale of three generations of a family expelled from coastal Jaffa in 1948 and sent to the West Bank. Told in a non-linear fashion, this intimate and epic film zig-zags chronologically, weaving in and out from 1948 to the present day.
Not only does Dabis wear the director's cap, she also stars as a mother forced to make a decision no mother should make when her son is wounded in the 1988 uprising. Many of the stories are based on the traumas Dabis and her family personally faced. As per AFP, one harrowing scene shows a father being is humiliated at gunpoint by Israeli soldiers in front of his young child, creating a father-son rift that will never heal. The fact that it is all rooted in reality makes the pain on the screen ever more acute.
"I saw my dad humiliated at borders and checkpoints," Dabis told AFP, having frequented the West Bank as a child. "He confronted the soldiers, and they started screaming at him, and I was convinced they were going to kill him."
The film does not yet have a theatrical distributor, but whenever it does, Dabis' story promises to be one worth carving out the time for.
'No Other Land'
Having earned an Oscar nomination for best documentary feature, No Other Land paints the stark picture of the unlikely alliance between a Palestinian activist on the West Bank and an Israeli journalist. Like others in the land he calls home, Basel Adra, aforementioned activist (and lawyer, journalist, and filmmaker), has been fighting the mass expulsion of his people by Israeli occupation ever since childhood. Through Basel's eyes, we see the inevitable eradication of the villages he has known all his life, demolished gradually by Israeli forces.
As everyone in the village is driven further and further away from home, Basel strikes up the unlikeliest of friendships with Yuval (said Israeli journalist), who goes out of his way to support Basel himself. But with Basel enduring a life under military occupation and Yuval being able to move freely, liberated of any restrictions, can this strange new alliance withstand political stand-offs?
Driving home the very human aspect of life under occupation, No Other Land is a film created by a Palestinian-Israeli collective of four young activists. It is the celluloid equivalent of creative resistance, seeking long-delayed justice for everyone whose lives have been destroyed by conflict in the region.
'To a Land Unknown'
Having been recognised at the Red Sea Film Festival, here is an action-packed drama film that attaches a face and a harrowing back story to the refugees otherwise reduced to just a number. Two displaced Palestinian refugees, Chatila and Reda, living on the fringes of society, crave to acquire a set of fake passports so they can flee Athens and move to Germany. But when Reda loses their hard-earned cash to his dangerous drug addiction, Chatila hatches a foolhardy plan rife with risk and doomed to failure. Rather exquisitely – and painfully – showing what happens when push comes to shove, Chatila suggests they pose as smugglers and take hostages so they can escape their hopeless surroundings before it is too late.
It goes without saying that To a Land Unknown is as far removed from feel-good as can be. If the trailer is anything to go by, we are on the receiving end of an unapologetic view of the struggles that befall anyone who has been forced to leave their homeland under extreme circumstances. Directed by the Dubai-born Mahdi Fleifel, To a Land Unknown is tough viewing, but as good an eye-opener as any.
'From Ground Zero'
The cumulative effort of 22 Gazan filmmakers, From Ground Zero offers something a little different, but no less gripping. Born against the backdrop of conflict (as is any work of art in the region, you will have doubtless gathered by now), the project was spearheaded by Palestinian director Rashid Masharawi and is a collection of 22 short films totalling nearly two hours and made in Gaza itself.
Each film, ranging in length from three to six minutes, presents an intimate portrait of daily life in a region that is otherwise reduced to statistics in newsprint. We are offered a unique insight into the current reality in Gaza, getting a first-hand look at not just the tragedies, but also the moments of resilience banding everyone together. With 22 filmmakers on board, expect to be treated to a rich variety of genres, including fiction, animation documentary, docu-fiction, and experimental cinema. With sorrow, joy, and hope all entwined into one another, Gaza's vibrant artistic scene shines through against all odds.
The collection was shortlisted for the Best International Feature Film category at the 2025 Academy Awards but missed out on a nomination. For those who remain on the fence about whether this venture is worth their time, Bowling for Columbine director Michael Moore offered his two cents in conversation with Deadline: "I tell people, do not avoid this film. If your kids are mature and of a certain age, take them to it. This isn't just the blood and gore you witness on cable news. This film is the response of people who are trying to stay alive while being bombarded and shot at."
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Express Tribune
19 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Is Bianca Censori starting a cosmetics line? Kanye West's wife launches solo venture
Bianca Censori may be preparing to launch her own beauty brand, according to new business filings that hint at a solo move beyond her association with Kanye West. The 30-year-old has registered a company named Bianca Censori Inc. in California and a second under the same name in Australia, based in Alphington, near her parents' home. The filings, first reported by the US Sun, list Censori as both CEO and secretary of the American firm. However, she is not entirely distancing herself from her husband. Kanye West is named as a company director, with his legal representation, Manoj Shah, also involved. Though details about the company's purpose remain vague, the appointment of Hussein Lalani as chief financial officer provides a strong clue. Lalani is the founder of skincare brand Zensa, known for its microblading kits and numbing creams, suggesting that Censori's business could be beauty-related. Censori, a former architect for Yeezy, has largely remained in West's creative shadow since their relationship began. This new venture appears to mark her first step into independent branding under her own name. Speculation around the company's purpose grew after Lalani previously promoted a cryptocurrency called $YZY, intended for West's online platform. However, that release has since stalled without explanation.


Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Express Tribune
First ever Birkin bag heads to auction at Sotheby's
The value of the prototype has not been disclosed. Photo: AFP The first-ever Birkin bag that was designed by French luxury brand Hermes for actress Jane Birkin is set to be sold at auction in Paris, with the piece of modern fashion history likely to spark a bidding frenzy. The Birkin has become a modern design icon that is so exclusive that Hermes only offers it to loyal clients, with prices starting at around $10,000. Auction house Sotheby's, which is handling the sale of the Birkin prototype in Paris on July 10, declined to specify a reserve price publicly and its value is hard to forecast. "The Original Birkin holds the potential to redefine records," Morgane Halimi, Sotheby's global handbag and fashion head, said in a statement. The previous record sale price for a handbag at auction was set by a highly customised Birkin in Hong Kong in 2017. The diamond-encrusted crocodile-skin Birkin 30 with white gold details fetched $510,000 at Christie's. The seller of the original Birkin is well-known Paris-based handbag collector and dealer Catherine Benier whose appointment-only boutique in the high-end 6th district of the capital has a cult following. Benier told The New York Times that the bag was the "jewel in my collection". It has changed hands twice since being put up for sale by Birkin at an auction in 1994 where the proceeds went to an AIDS charity, Sotheby's said. The birth of the Birkin bag has become a modern fashion legend. During a Paris-London flight, the singer and actress — who died in 2023 — complained to a fellow traveller about not being able to find a bag suited to her needs as a young mother. That fellow passenger happened to be Jean-Louis Dumas, then head of Hermes. The result of their conversation was a spacious tote with room for baby bottles, created in 1984 and named the Birkin. It is engraved with the initials JB and has several unique features, Sotheby's said, including closed metal rings, a non-detachable shoulder strap and a built-in nail clipper. Its condition "reflects the many years of use by the actress and singer," Sotheby's said. The prototype Birkin will be exhibited at Sotheby's in New York from June 6 to 12 before being put on show in the French capital before the sale. In addition to the Birkin bag, the Sotheby's "Fashion Icons" sale will feature runway pieces from designers including Christian Dior, John Galliano, Thierry Mugler and Alexander McQueen. Bidding will open online on June 26 and close on July 10.


Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Express Tribune
Nintendo drops Switch 2
Gamers on Thursday finally got their hands on Nintendo's new Switch 2 console, which could score record early sales for the Japanese Super Mario creator. Featuring a bigger screen and more processing power, the device is an upgrade to the Switch, which became a global phenomenon with hit games such as Animal Crossing. The original Switch has sold 152 million units since its 2017 release, making it the third best-selling console ever. At a Tokyo electronics store on Thursday morning, Nintendo fans – including 24-year-old Lei Wang, a recent graduate from China – queued to collect their devices. He had been "shocked" to win a pre-order lottery, as none of his friends had been selected. "It's basically just me who got picked... so I don't really want to say anything" to them, he laughed. Shinichi Sekiguchi, 31, said he was so excited he forgot to bring his phone, while 33-year-old Kuro said she had taken a day off work to play with her new device. "The improved graphics and the ability to play with a larger group – I think that's a big deal," she said. Serkan Toto from Tokyo consultancy Kantan Games said he "would not be surprised to see Switch 2 breaking sales records in the next weeks and months". In Japan, Nintendo's online store had 2.2 million pre-order applications for the Switch 2 – an "insane number the industry has never seen before", Toto told AFP. The Switch 2 has eight times the memory of the first Switch, and its controllers, which attach with magnets, can also be used like a desktop computer mouse. New functions allowing users to chat as they play online and temporarily share games with friends could also be a big draw for young audiences used to watching game streamers. The Switch 2 costs $449.99 in the United States, more than the original's launch price of $299.99. Both are hybrid consoles which can connect to a TV or be played on the go.