The movie
Palestine 36
This moving Palestinian submission for the 2026 Academy Awards dramatises the complex struggle of various Palestinian Arabs against British colonial rule and Zionist settlements in 1936. Annemarie Jacir sheds light on the lesser-known yet essential history of the ongoing Palestinian resistance.
Description
In 1936, the British Empire tightens its grip on Palestine. Yusuf is caught between his village and his work in Jerusalem, where Palestinian journalists try to document the truth as censorship and repression intensify. His friend Khalid becomes radicalised and joins the growing resistance, while others struggle to survive between fear and hope. Amid an anti-colonial uprising, and as Jewish refugees flee persecution in Europe, all sides converge at a decisive moment for the entire region. When clashing ideals inevitably lead to armed conflict between Palestinian freedom fighters and brutal British officers, Palestine 36 portrays the growing resistance of ordinary people in their struggle for autonomy and survival.
An epic and deeply human film about the beginnings of Palestinian emancipation—an overlooked yet crucial chapter in world history. With Palestine 36, director Annemarie Jacir (Wajib) may have created the most ambitious Palestinian production to date: a cinematic achievement made under extreme circumstances, amid an ongoing war.
The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and was selected as Palestine’s submission for the Oscars.
