Annemarie Jacir’s drama shines a much-needed light on Palestine’s troubled history and a crucial uprising against imperial rule.
In 1936, Yousef is a young Palestinian man living in the countryside, where land is rapidly disappearing to Jewish settlers under Britain’s rule, and working in Jerusalem, where he meets an educated revolutionary movement. Conflicts escalate, and it becomes clear that they will have to fight for a land of their own – with terrible consequences for everyone they know and love. Long delayed by the Gaza War, writer-director Jacir (Salt of This Sea, Wajib) succeeds magnificently in showing the lives, needs, and pain behind the conflicts, with a strong ensemble cast including Hiam Abbas, Jeremy Irons and Liam Cunningham. Moreover, it spells out the need to know the history – and to keep paying attention – even after the fighting ends.
