Director Annemarie Jacir delivers a sweeping, timely epic in the historical drama Palestine ’36.
Palestine ‘36, written and directed by Annemarie Jacir, aims to examine the struggles of the Palestinian people through a historical lens. Through a combination of archival footage and narrative filmmaking, Jacir examines the effects of British colonial rule and the arrival of Jewish settlers in Palestine.
This blend of real recorded history and dramatization evokes The Voice of Hind Rajab, another recent film about atrocities endured by Palestinians in the ongoing conflict. Palestine ‘36 is the most sprawling film to date about the Palestinian experience, made ambitiously in the style of a historical epic that weaves together the stories of protagonists united in their love for their homeland and its people.
With the film banned in Jerusalem and its production interrupted by the war in Gaza, Palestine ‘36 is not only a thematic tribute to endurance. It is also evidence of the triumph of the endurance of artists who commit to creating in the face of destruction.
Risking life in the pursuit of freedom.
Detailing the revolt of the native population in Mandatory Palestine against their oppressors, ‘Palestine 36 tells the story of Palestinians in Jerusalem and the surrounding villages. Initially reluctant revolutionary Yusuf (Karim Daoud Anaya), journalist Khouloud (Yasmine Al Massri), and mother Rabab (Yafa Bakri) are the characters who receive the most focus.
Through Yusuf, we receive insight into the decision to risk one’s life in pursuit of freedom. Through Khouloud, we see a glimpse into the Palestinian upper class and the efforts by colonizing forces to silence dissent in the press. Rabab allows us to witness how love and courage can prevail amidst rampant devastation.
That Palestine ‘36 was shot on location adds further authenticity and beauty to the film. As a sweeping period drama, the visual story pays just as much tribute to the setting and culture as to the characters and their plights. The natural surroundings surrounding the characters serve as both a lush backdrop and a constant reminder of the forcible separation of a people from the land rightfully theirs.
Palestine ’36 depicts dignity in the face of destruction.
Despite the violence that erupts in the story, Jacir affords Palestine an elegance and maintains it throughout the film, even in its darkest moments. This grace and dignity prevent the characters from being merely victims, which is always a risk when telling the story of a marginalized population. Instead, they are emblematic of the strength of resistance regardless of their fates.
The British are an oppressive force relegated rightfully to the background. High Commissioner Wauchope (Jeremy Irons) and Charles Tegart (Liam Cunningham) are representative of the banality of evil, unsympathetic to those whose lives they are destroying. Captain Wingate (Robert Aramayo) is a figure who relishes the power he wields over the Palestinians and the violence he commits. We see Secretary Thomas Hopkins (Billy Howle) as someone who is sympathetic to the Palestinian people. Still, his actions reveal his immense privilege as a voyeur of a struggle that is not his own.
The bottom line.
Palestine ‘36 is a beautiful film and a necessary one. That it places an ongoing conflict into a historical context pays tribute to those who have been engaged in this fight longer than the world at large has been aware, and defines Palestinians as a people that will endure.
Palestine ’36 is out now in select theaters.
Images courtesy of Watermelon Pictures.
REVIEW RATING
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Palestine '36 - 8/10
8/10
