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Egypt Today
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Egypt Today
Viva Palestine: ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA triumphs at Cannes with Best Director Award
Palestinian cinema celebrates a landmark achievement as Tarzan and Arab Nasser's comedy-drama ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA claims the prestigious Best Director award at Cannes' Un Certain Regard section, where it world premiered to resounding applause, captivating audiences and critics alike. Commenting on this triumph, Palestinian twin directors Tarzan and Arab Nasser expressed their gratitude for the recognition and the support they received all the way through. Following its world premiere, the film garnered widespread acclaim from critics worldwide, with Clotilde Chinnici (Loud and Clear Reviews) describing it as "Necessary and remarkable, ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA is a beautifully shot and politically significant film, especially relevant today." Meanwhile, Jonathan Romney (Screen Daily) praised its impact, stating, "This taut, succinct film should win widespread attention following its bow in Un Certain Regard." Also, Jordan Mintzer of The Hollywood Reporter described Once Upon a Time in Gaza as 'Small-scale yet broad in its implications, especially considering what's happened since October 7th,' highlighting how the film 'touchingly portrays characters doing their best in a place that grants them few options and even fewer opportunities.' This victory marks yet another milestone for the Nasser brothers at Cannes. Their short film CONDOM LEAD was selected for the Main Competition, while their debut feature DÉGRADÉ premiered at Cannes' Critics' Week. ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA is their second feature, following GAZA MON AMOUR, which world premiered in the Venice International Film Festival's Horizons Program and was Palestine's submission to the 2021 Academy Awards. ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA explores the gripping story of Yahya, a young student who forges a friendship with Osama, a charismatic restaurant owner with a big heart. Together, they begin peddling drugs while delivering falafel sandwiches, but they are soon forced to grapple with a corrupt cop and his oversized ego. An international co-production between France, Palestine, Germany, and Portugal with Qatar and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the film boasts a stellar cast that includes Nader Abd Alhay, who is known for his role as Sami in FARAH, which is streaming now on Netflix; Ramzi Maqdisi (GHOST HUNTING, awarded Best Documentary at the Berlinale), Majd Eid (Cannes Winning title HOLY SPIDER); DOP Christophe Graillot (RIDE ABOVE) and editor Sophie Reine, who won the Best Editing Award at the César Awards for her work in THE FIRST DAY OF THE REST OF YOUR LIFE. Directed by the Nasser Brothers from a screenplay co-written with Amer Nasser and Marie Legrand, ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA is produced by Rani Massalha and Marie Legrand from Les Films du Tambour and Muriel Merlin of Lyly Productions. Additionally, the film was co-produced with Rise Studios (Amanda Turnbull and Ziad Srouji), Made in Palestine Project (Rashid Abdelhamid), Red Balloon Film (Dorothe Benemeier), Riva Filmproduktion (Mickael Eckelt and Lena Zimmerhackel), Ukbar Filmes (Pandora Da Cunha Telles and Pablo Iraola), and executive produced by Jordan Pioneers Multi Media & Slate Films Services (Khaled Haddad) in association with A. A. Films (Ahmed Amer), Cocoon Films (Sawsan Asfari), Radio e Televisao De Portugal, and Kometa (Edyta Janczak-Hiriart). MAD Distribution manages the film's distribution and sales across the Arab world, The Party Film Sales oversees international sales, while Dulac Distribution handles the French distribution rights. Throughout its production phases, the film received support from prestigious institutions, including Aide aux Cinémas du Monde - CNC, Eurimages, Moin Film Fund Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein, Fundo CNC-Ica De Apoio A Coproducao Franco-Portuguesa, the Doha Film Institute, the Royal Film Commission's Jordan Film Fund, and Ciclic And Région Centre-Val De Loire.
Broadcast Pro
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Broadcast Pro
Palestinian filmmakers Nasser brothers win Cannes ‘Best Director' award
The film is an international co-production between France, Palestine, Germany, Portugal, Qatar and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Palestinian filmmakers Tarzan and Arab Nasser have clinched the Best Director award in the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film Festival for their latest work, Once Upon a Time in Gaza. The film had its world premiere at the festival to thunderous applause, captivating both audiences and critics with its blend of comedy and drama. The Nasser brothers, who have long been prominent voices in Palestinian cinema, expressed deep gratitude for the recognition and the international support they received throughout the film's journey. This latest win adds to their growing legacy at Cannes, where their short Condom Lead competed in the Main Competition and their debut feature Dégradé premiered in Critics' Week. Their second feature, Gaza Mon Amour, previously premiered at the Venice International Film Festival and was Palestine's official submission to the 2021 Academy Awards. Critics have responded enthusiastically to Once Upon a Time in Gaza, praising its artistry and relevance. Clotilde Chinnici of Loud and Clear Reviews called it 'necessary and remarkable,' highlighting its powerful political undertones and stunning visuals. Jonathan Romney of Screen Daily described it as 'taut' and 'succinct,' predicting the film would garner significant attention after its Cannes debut. Jordan Mintzer of The Hollywood Reporter noted its emotional depth, calling it 'small-scale yet broad in its implications,' particularly in the context of ongoing events in Gaza. Set against the backdrop of the besieged enclave, the film follows Yahya, a young student who befriends Osama, a kind-hearted restaurant owner. Together, they begin selling drugs while delivering falafel, only to encounter a corrupt and egotistical police officer. The story provides a deeply human portrait of life in Gaza, blending humor and harsh reality in a way that resonates far beyond its setting. Once Upon a Time in Gaza is an international co-production between France, Palestine, Germany and Portugal, with additional support from Qatar and Jordan. The cast includes Nader Abd Alhay—known for Farah on Netflix—Ramzi Maqdisi (Ghost Hunting) and Majd Eid (Holy Spider), with cinematography by Christophe Graillot and editing by Sophie Reine. The screenplay was co-written by the Nasser brothers alongside Amer Nasser and Marie Legrand. It was produced by Rani Massalha and Marie Legrand of Les Films du Tambour and Muriel Merlin of Lyly Productions, with a broad base of co-producers from around the globe including Rise Studios, Made in Palestine Project, Red Balloon Film, Riva Filmproduktion, and Ukbar Filmes, among others. Distribution is handled by MAD Distribution for the Arab world, The Party Film Sales for international markets, and Dulac Distribution for France. The project also benefited from the backing of major cultural institutions, including Aide aux Cinémas du Monde – CNC, Eurimages, the Doha Film Institute, and the Royal Film Commission's Jordan Film Fund.
Al-Ahram Weekly
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Once Upon a Time in Gaza wins Best Director at Cannes' Un Certain Regard - Screens - Arts & Culture
Once Upon a Time in Gaza claimed the prestigious Best Director award in Cannes' "Un Certain Regard" section. Commenting on their triumph, Palestinian twin directors Tarzan and Arab Nasser expressed their gratitude for the recognition and the support they received throughout the journey. Following its world premiere, the film garnered widespread acclaim from critics around the globe. Clotilde Chinnici (Loud and Clear Reviews) described it as 'necessary and remarkable. Once Upon a Time in Gaza is a beautifully shot and politically significant film, especially relevant today.' Meanwhile, Jonathan Romney (Screen Daily) praised its impact, stating, 'This taut, succinct film should win widespread attention following its bow in Un Certain Regard.' Jordan Mintzer of The Hollywood Reporter also lauded the film, describing Once Upon a Time in Gaza as 'small-scale yet broad in its implications, especially considering what's happened since October 7,' and highlighting how the film 'touchingly portrays characters doing their best in a place that grants them few options and even fewer opportunities.' This victory marks yet another milestone for the Nasser brothers at Cannes. Their short film Condom Lead was selected for the Main Competition, while their debut feature Dégradé premiered in Cannes' Critics' Week. Once Upon a Time in Gaza is their second feature, following Gaza Mon Amour, which had its world premiere in the Venice International Film Festival's Horizons program and was Palestine's submission to the 2021 Academy Awards. The film explores the gripping story of Yahya, a young student who forges a friendship with Osama, a charismatic restaurant owner with a big heart. Together, they begin peddling drugs while delivering falafel sandwiches, but they are soon forced to grapple with a corrupt cop and his oversized ego. An international co-production between France, Palestine, Germany, and Portugal, with additional support from Qatar and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the film boasts a stellar cast that includes Nader Abd Alhay—known for his role as Sami in Farah, currently streaming on Netflix—Ramzi Maqdisi (Ghost Hunting, awarded Best Documentary at the Berlinale), and Majd Eid (Holy Spider, Cannes winner). The film also features DOP Christophe Graillot (Ride Above) and editor Sophie Reine, who won the César Award for Best Editing for The First Day of the Rest of Your Life. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
