Palestine 36
Synopsis
Palestine 1936: Rising numbers of Jewish immigrants are arriving to escape persecution in Europe just as Palestinian villages are uniting in the largest and longest uprising against Britain’s 30-year colonial rule. The region is reaching a breaking point, spiraling toward an inevitable collision that will be a decisive turning point for the British Empire and the future of the land.
Within this tumultuous setting, Palestine 36 follows several characters caught up in the conflict. Yusuf drifts between his rural home and the restless energy of Jerusalem, longing for a future beyond the growing unrest, while young Afra tries to navigate the seismic changes with the aid of her grandmother. Meanwhile, a dissatisfied port worker finds the pressures of earning a living drawing him into the rebel movement. In this powerful and suspenseful work of historical fiction, starring such notable actors as Hiam Abbass and Jeremy Irons, renowned filmmaker Annemarie Jacir (Wajib, When I Saw You, and Like Twenty Impossibles, a winner at the Festival in 2023) uses a wide cinematic canvas to offer context, humanity, and complexity to a story that is still tragically unfolding.
Media
Film Credits
- Ossama Bawardi, Cat Villiers, Azzam Fakhreddin, Hani Farsi, Nils Åstrand, Olivier Barbier, Nathanaël Karmitz, Katrin Pors, Hamza Ali
- Annemarie Jacir
- Tania Reddin
- Hélène Louvart, Sarah Blum, Tim Fleming
- Hiam Abbass, Kamel Al Basha, Yasmine Al Massri, Jalal Altawil, Robert Aramayo, Saleh Bakri, Yafa Bakri, Karim Daoud Anaya, Wardi Eilabouni, Ward Helou, Billy Howle, Dhafer L'Abidine, Liam Cunningham, Jeremy Irons
- Ben Frost
- Philistine Films, Autonomous, Corniche Media, MK Productions, Snowglobe
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The President’s Cake
Synopsis
Witty, playful, and profoundly moving, The President’s Cake is a story of struggle and survival under Saddam Hussein’s sanctioned Iraq. Though the country is suffering massive food shortages, a decree is sent across the nation: the President requires a cake from every school to celebrate his birthday. Despite desperately trying not to be chosen, unlucky nine-year-old Lamia is selected for baking duty, even though she’s too poor to afford the ingredients.
Setting out on a daylong odyssey from her provincial home to a nearby town with her beloved rooster Hindi in tow, Lamia is forced to use her imagination and get creative as she attempts to whip up the obligatory confection. With a keen eye for period detail and a winning performance from newcomer Baneen Ahmed Nayyef as Lamia, The President’s Cake offers an astonishing child’s-eye view of the hardships of living in 1990s Iraq.
Film Credits
- Leah Chen Baker
- Hasan Hadi
- Andu Radu
- Tudor Vladimir Panduru RSC
- Baneen Ahmed Nayyef, Sajad Mohamad Qasem, Waheeda Thabet Khreibat, Rahim AlHaj
- TPC Film LLC
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Renoir
Synopsis
In 1987 suburban Tokyo, sensitive eleven-year-old Fuki is faced with her father’s terminal illness without much in the way of emotional support from her overwhelmed mother. Left to her own devices, she retreats into her own imagination, developing an interest in telepathy and a penchant for phoning into a dating agency. Seeking out adventures, she begins to navigate the difficult terrain of early adolescence, all the while trying to process the tremendous loss looming on the horizon.
Reaching back to a formative chapter from her own life, Festival alum Chie Hayakawa (Plan 75) fashions an impressionistic sketch of a girl adrift. The irrepressible presence of gifted newcomer Yui Suzuki animates every frame—she delivers a mesmerizing performance of richness and complexity beyond her years, transforming Renoir into a moving, episodic character study filled with illuminating insights and beautiful imagery.
Media
Film Credits
- Fran Borgia, Christophe Bruncher, Jason Gray, Keisuke Konishi, Eiko Mizuno Gray
- Chie Hayakawa
- Anne Klotz
- Hideho Urata
- Yui Suzuki, Lily Franky, Hikari Ishida
- Rémi Boubal
- Eiko Mizuno Gray
- Akanga Film Asia
- https://filmmovement.com/renoir
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Cotton Queen
Synopsis
In a close-knit Sudanese village known for harvesting the purist cotton by virginal hands, teenage Nafisa is dreaming of something beyond fertile fields. Her ambitions are amplified with the arrival of a wealthy young businessman returning to Sudan after years abroad. His introduction of a genetically modified seed promises to make the village completely dependent on his profit-driven vision of the future.
Through a blend of magical realism rooted in local spiritual customs set by village legend and elder Al-Sit, the film explores the complications inherent in the pursuit of progress as commerce and cultural sustainability vie for the hearts of the community. Nafisa’s strong will, open mind, and profoundly principled nature deepens and uplifts her to become the new hero her village needs yet might not be ready for.
Media
Film Credits
- Caroline Daube, Didar Domehri, Annemarie Jacir, Ossama Bawardi, Jessica Khoury, Mohamed Hefzy, Alaa Karkouti, Maher Diab
- Suzannah Mirghani
- Amparo Mejías, Simon Blasi, Frank Müller
- Frida Marzouk
- Mihad Murtada, Rabha Mohamed Mahmoud, Talaat Fareed, Haram Bisheer, Mohamed Musa, Hassan Kassala
- Amine Bouhafa
- Strange Bird, Maneki Films, Philistine Films, Film Clinic, Mad Solutions
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