At a critical juncture, a trio of films uplift Palestinian voices

Amid war in Gaza, these movies that shine a light on the region's tumultuous history are vying for academy voters' attention

- Gregory Ellwood

"All That's Left of You"

THE PALESTINIAN EXPERience has been a mainstay of global cinema for decades. Despite countless obstacles, the Palestinian Ministry of Culture has submitted 18 titles for the international feature Oscar since 2003, earning nominations in 2006 and 2014. But this year, at a pivotal moment in its history, three films from acclaimed female filmmakers, each set in war-torn Gaza, are up for Oscar consideration: Annemarie Jacir's Palestinian entry, "Palestine 36," Cherien Dabis' "All That's Left of You," representing Jordan, and Kaouther Ben Hania's "The Voice of Hind Rajab," selected by Tunisia. It's a remarkable field, one that Jacir believes is more a coincidence than a reflection of the political climate. "I think that there's so many Palestinian filmmakers and people have been doing a lot of work for a long time," Jacir says. "I remember when I made my last film, there were three films shooting at the same time."

From the outbreak of the Arab revolt in 1936 to the generational trauma of the capture of Jaffa during the Arab-Israeli 1948 war to the current Israel-Hamas war, each film has a distinct and important story to tell.

Notably, both "Palestine 36" and "All That's Left of You" were scheduled to begin production in Palestine just days after Israel began an aerial assault in October 2023 in response to the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7.