Latest news with #OnceUponATimeInGaza
The National
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
‘This is the time of Gaza,' says Cannes-winning Palestinian director Arab Nasser
Once Upon a Time in Gaza director Arab Nasser tells The National why the world needs to see humanity
The National
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
‘This is the time of Gaza', says Cannes-winning Palestinian director Arab Nasser
Arab Nasser had a feeling that he may win a top prize at the Cannes Film Festival. But even so, he had considered skipping the ceremony. The Palestinian filmmaker's mother is in North Gaza, which is currently suffering a barrage of Israeli air strikes. On Thursday, after days of trying, he was able to speak to her. As happy as she was to see her son's face, as proud as she was of his latest achievements, she had tears in her eyes. Arab recounted the story on stage on Friday, as he accepted the Un Certain Regard award for best directors along with his brother Tarzan: 'My mother said, 'I'm not crying because of you. I'm looking now at the three kids of your sister. They are starving. Go to Cannes – tell them to stop the genocide.'' That is the urgency with which Arab accepted the award for his and his brother's latest film, Once Upon a Time in Gaza. It is the same urgency he's had since the day they decided to pursue the project. The world needs stories such as this, he believes, and this moment needs to be seen through the eyes of the Gazan people. 'This is the time of Gaza,' Arab Nasser tells The National. 'They need to show something about us. And we made a very human film – not a film about heroes – because the world needs to see our humanity. 'Of course, it's important for us as creatives to be in a festival such as Cannes. It's a dream of any director in the world. But as a Palestinian, it means something different.' As Arab suggests, there are new heroes in his latest film. It follows three men from 2007 to 2009 in the Gaza Strip, each struggling to endure the harsh circumstances created by the Israeli occupation. One is a young student named Yahya, taken under the wing of a charming drug dealer named Osama. Another is a corrupt cop named Abou Sami, whose feud with Osama turns deadly. But it is far from an ordinary crime story – instead a layered, self-reflexive meditation on identity, resistance and the cost of survival. 'These are people who are victims of occupation. And they accept unacceptable conditions because they have no other options and they cannot be judged for that. 'There are many things we are trying to say in this film. But if you ask me to name one thing, it's the humanity of Gaza. It's the daily life of two million people who have lived inside a cage since 2007. And nothing can justify what's happened to them.' Arab and Tarzan first gained international attention in 2010 with their poster series Gaza Wood, for which the two brothers turned the names of Israel's military operations in Gaza into fictional film posters. This is their third feature film after Degrade in 2015and Gaza Mon Amour in 2020. Both garnered international acclaim. The idea for Once Upon a Time in Gaza came to them in 2015. It was originally intended as an ode to the spaghetti Westerns and crime films that made them fall in love with cinema to begin with. After years of work, they finished the script on October 6, 2023. Once the war began the next day, they lost all motivation to continue the project. 'For a while, I lost my belief in the art of cinema. I don't want to have to justify my humanity to the world all the time, only for the world to reply with guilt, and nothing will change,' says Arab. 'But after five months, we were tired of waiting for bad news all the time. And we believed this was the perfect film to show the world what's happening in Gaza – what life was like before the war, the siege and the genocide.' Before October 7, funding for the film was already secured and a team was in place to bring the project to fruition. But when plans restarted, Arab and Tarzan found that many who had previously been committed were unwilling to continue. 'Most people quit the film,' says Arab. 'We got more partners, and then they quit. The money we'd secured started to disappear. It's a miracle we got this film made. But we succeeded because everyone – from the actors to the cinematographer to the editor – believed in this film. I would have sold my kidney to make it and so would they. That's why we succeeded – and that's why were able to bring this film to Cannes.' It wasn't just the crew that supported them – it was the Palestinian people. Filming took place in Palestinian camps in Jordan in mid-2024, and the community was integral from start to finish. Nader Abd Alhay, who plays Yahya, says: 'Ït wasn't easy to film at the Palestinian camp in Jordan, but the people there were working with us because they saw this movie as a statement for them. That's why they were helping. 'They were part of the movie on many levels, and they were welcoming us to do this movie because, by the end, they knew it was going to tell their story.' Unlike other Palestinian films, such as No Other Land, that aim entirely to educate Western audiences, Once Upon a Time in Gaza is a film equally for insiders and outsiders, referencing historical happenings once Hamas took power and dissecting complexities with nuance. 'But I'm not here to criticise the Gazan people,' Arab says. 'I'm telling you a story. Nobody has the legitimacy to criticise the Palestinian people. Nothing could justify what's happening now in Gaza. Nothing could excuse killing children.' Ultimately, while the film often takes a tone of black humour – even playing a clip of US President Donald Trump talking about turning Gaza into a tourist destination during the opening credits 'for a laugh', Arab explains – ultimately, its message is hopeful. Because even amid unthinkable devastation, the Palestinian people persevere. 'Right now, when we talk about Gaza, we have to talk about 'once upon a time' – because Israel has destroyed everything. But we will rebuild. Life will continue. Our people will stay in Gaza for all time.' As Arab's twin brother Tarzan said as they accepted the best directors prize: 'To every Palestinian, your life matters, your voice matters. Soon Palestinian will be free, inshallah.'
The National
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
'Soon Palestine will be free': Gaza directors dedicate Cannes win to their country
Twin Palestinian directors Tarzan and Arab Nasser have dedicated their best director win to the people of Palestine, especially those living in their homeland of Gaza. The maverick filmmakers' crime thriller, Once Upon a Time in Gaza, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival's Un Certain Regard section on Monday. "To every Palestinian, your life matters, your voice matters. Soon Palestinian will be free, Insha'Allah," Tarzan Nasser said on stage on Friday. Receiving the award, announced a day before the main Palme d'Or, Arab Nasser recalled a conversation with their mother and how they hesitated to return to Cannes in the midst of the ongoing war. "She said, 'No, no, no, you have to go. You have to talk to them. Tell them to stop the genocide. We cannot carry on anymore'," he said. The twins, who have been living in Jordan since 2012, are regulars at the festival. Their previous work includes Condom Lead, the first-ever Palestinian short to compete at Cannes in 2013, as well as their 2015 debut feature Degrade and 2020's Gaza Mon Amour. Once Upon A Time in Gaza begins in 2007, the year Hamas took over Gaza, and follows drug dealer Yahya (Nader Abd Alhay), who pines for a better life outside Gaza. After an incident with a corrupt cop, the story fast-forwards to 2009, when Hamas has fully taken control, and Yahya is cast in a cheap-looking TV series commissioned by the group about a militant who died a hero in the fight against Israel. In his review of the film, The National's William Mullally called it "a layered, self-reflexive meditation on identity, resistance, and the cost of survival". The Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes recognises films with unusual styles and non-traditional stories. The decision to include a film set in Gaza in the Cannes Film Festival's official selection came at a particularly urgent time Arab Nasser said earlier in the week. Israel's military campaign has so far killed more than 50,000 Palestinians and devastated Gaza. "There is a need to give a platform to the voice of Palestine, the Palestinian story, the Gaza story, in an international festival like the Cannes Film Festival, with a wide audience from all over the world," he told Reuters. The film's name was meant to capture the rhythm of Gaza at a time where there is no stability or continuity, he said. "Now we refer to all of Gaza as 'once upon a time,' because Israel destroyed Gaza from north to south and has damaged all means of life," Nasser said. "All the memories, all the incidents that one has in one's memory of this place, have all vanished, Israel has destroyed it completely."
Asharq Al-Awsat
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Palestinian Filmmakers Win Directing Award at Un Certain Regard Competition at Cannes
Palestinian twin filmmakers Arab and Tarzan Nasser earned a directing award at the Cannes Film Festival's second-tier Un Certain Regard competition on Friday for "Once Upon a Time in Gaza." To everyone in Gaza, "to every single Palestinian: your lives matter and your voice matters, and soon Palestine will be free," said Tarzan Nasser, eliciting a standing ovation. The movie follows a low-level drug dealer and his underling in the coastal enclave the year the Hamas group took over. Chilean director Diego Cespedes' first feature, "The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo," won the top prize at the Un Certain Regard competition. This year's Un Certain Regard section, which usually focuses on more art-house fare, was particularly strong, with several promising directorial debuts from actors including Scarlett Johansson, Harris Dickinson and Kristen Stewart. Colombian director Simon Mesa Soto's dark comedy exploring the art world, "A Poet," received the runner-up Jury Prize. Frank Dillane, who stars in Dickinson's well-received debut about a homeless man, "Urchin," took home best performance along with Cleo Diara, who stars in Portuguese director Pedro Pinho's exploration of neo-colonialism, "I Only Rest in the Storm." The screenplay award went to British director Harry Lighton and his Alexander Skarsgard-led romance "Pillion."
Malay Mail
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Malay Mail
Palestinian twins debut Gaza-set film at Cannes, say ‘Israel destroyed all means of life
'Once Upon A Time in Gaza' competes in Un Certain Regard Main character symbolizes Gazans' limited opportunities Film depicts life under Hamas, reflects on Gaza's destruction CANNES, May 21 — The decision to include a film set in Gaza in the Cannes Film Festival's official selection comes at a particularly urgent time for the small coastal enclave, said twin Palestinian filmmakers Arab and Tarzan Nasser. 'There is a need to give a platform to the voice of Palestine, the Palestinian story, the Gaza story, in an international festival like the Cannes Film Festival, with a wide audience from all over the world,' Arab Nasser told Reuters on Tuesday. The brothers' film 'Once Upon A Time in Gaza,' which is competing in the second-tier Un Certain Regard category, premiered at the festival in southern France on Monday. Their previous work includes 'Condom Lead,' the first-ever Palestinian short to compete at Cannes in 2013, as well as their 2015 debut feature 'Degrade' and 2020's 'Gaza Mon Amour.' 'Once Upon A Time in Gaza' begins in 2007, the year the Islamist group Hamas took over Gaza, with low-level drug dealer Osama (Majd Eid) running a falafel stand that serves as a front. His underling Yahya (Nader Abd Alhay) looks after the restaurant and pines for a better life outside Gaza. After an incident with a corrupt cop, the story fast-forwards to 2009, when Hamas has fully taken control, and Yahya is cast in a cheap-looking TV series commissioned by the group about a militant who died a hero in the fight against Israel. Yahya is meant to symbolise a whole generation of Gazans who have been stuck in the coastal enclave with few perspectives, said Tarzan Nasser. 'Maybe his lot would have changed had Israel allowed him to leave the Gaza Strip,' said the director, who along with his brother has been in exile in Jordan for more than a decade. The film name is meant to capture the rhythm of Gaza at the time, where there is no stability or continuity, and 'an incident now would become a 'once upon a time' tomorrow,' said Arab Nasser. But it has a different meaning with a view to the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack that killed 1,200 people in southern Israel and saw 251 taken hostage. That attack triggered Israel's campaign that has so far killed more than 50,000 Palestinians and devastated Gaza. Now 'we refer to all of Gaza as 'once upon a time,' because Israel destroyed Gaza from north to south and has damaged all means of life,' he added. 'All the memories, all the incidents that one has in one's memory of this place, have all vanished, Israel has destroyed it completely.' — Reuters
