Film has long been one of the most important ways that the people of Palestine have been able to express themselves both to the region and the broader world, creating many indelible portraits of life in Palestine both past and present.
Through films from such brilliant filmmakers such as Hany Abu Assad, Elia Suleiman, Michel Khleifi and more, the world has received an invaluable window into the Palestinian soul—its joys and sorrows, its humour and its faith, and its hope for a better future.
There is no better time than now to dive into the filmic history of Palestine. While there are many other tremendous films that have not made this list, here’s a great and accessible place to start, made up of only films that are available to watch online for free.
10 great books by Palestinian authors you’ll actually want to read.
Keep an eye on esquireme.com for more in-depth looks at the film of the Arab world coming soon.
And mark your calendars, as Elia Suleiman will be streaming all his films for free from May 21 to May 30. Find out more here.
Enjoy, and share these with all those who need to see them.
1. Wedding in Galilee (1987)
عرس الجليل ١٩٨٧ from A.M. Qattan Foundation on Vimeo.
A landmark for Palestinian film, Wedding in Galilee came at a time when Palestinian films were virtually unheard of, and helped reignite interest for Arab cinema across the world. Taking place in a Galilean Palestinian village ruled by a military governor following the 1948 war, it follows the village’s mayor as he tries to stage an elaborate wedding for his son despite a curfew, which ultimately requires the invitation of the military governor and his staff.
Director: Michel Khleifi
2. Jenin, Jenin (2002)
Jenin, Jenin is a painful and vital look at the tragic and devastating ‘battle of Jenin’, told entirely through interviews with the people of Jenin in Palestine, without a narrator. The interviews, with people of various ages, are some of the most memorable in the history of Arab documentary. Mohammad Bakri, the director, is also an acclaimed actor, and the father of Saleh Bakri, star of the 2021 Academy Award nominated film The Present directed by Farah Nabulsi, which can be found on Netflix.
Director: Mohammad Bakri
3. Chronicle of a Disappearance (1996)
The acclaimed idiosyncratic Palestinian filmmaker Elia Suleiman made his debut behind the camera here in this 1996 Drama that follows Suleiman himself, known in the film only as “E.S”, returning to Palestine after a long absence, wrestling with both his own personal state and the state of Palestine itself in visual diary format. The film began Suleiman’s trademark style which straddles extreme presence of mind and a sardonically detached restlessness, focusing on visual storytelling in the style of Jacques Tati and Buster Keaton. It was hugely acclaimed upon release across the world, receiving theatrical release across the United States and was declared one of the best films of that year.
Director: Elia Suleiman
4. Paradise Now (2006)
Hany Abu Assad received his first Academy Award nomination in 2006 for this vital and arresting portrayal of two Palestinian men on the day they are set to become suicide bombers. The film had a level of empathy that few films have had before or since, showing compassion and humanity for characters that the world had written off as inhuman.
The film also launched the international career of Ali Suliman, who has gone on to star in some of the best Arab films of the last 15 years including 200 Meters (2020), as well as international blockbusters such as Ridley Scott’s Body of Lies, and Peter Berg’s Lone Survivor.
Read our full interview with Ali Suliman here.
Director: Hany Abu Assad
5. They Do Not Exist (1974)
One of the most important Palestinian films ever made, this 1974 classic from Mustafa Abu Ali, considered the founding father of Palestinian cinema and a hugely important voice in developing the Palestinian film scene that allowed all of the other films on this list to exist, They Do Not Exist blends fiction and documentary surveys the conditions of Lebanon’s refugee camps, effects of bombardments and the lives of guerillas in training camps is both an extraordinary historical document and a moving piece of art.
Director: Mustafa Abu Ali
6. The Time That Remains
Elia Suleiman’s third film after 2002’s excellent Divine Intervention, currently not available to stream online for free, this semi-autobiographical drama that also features Ali Suliman and Saleh Bakri is Suleiman’s account of the creation of Israel from 1948 to present. The film screened at Cannes in 2009, and once again featured Suleiman’s trademark style and incisive wit.
Director: Elia Suleiman
7. Amreeka (2009)
AMREEKA (2009) from Cherien Dabis on Vimeo.
Following a Palestinian single mom and her teenage son who immigrate to small town Illinois during the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, Amreeka follows the two dealing with the realities of living n the United States as a Palestinian, tackling racism and economic hardship. The film was hugely acclaimed in the year it came out, voted one of the top 10 independent films of the year by the National Board of Review.
Director: Cherien Dabis
8. Mayor (2020)
While not directed by a Palestinian, Mayor, the 2020 film by American filmmaker David Osit, is a uinque portrayal of life in Palestine, following the mayor of the Palestinian city of Ramallah as he navigates the reality of bureaucracy in a city under occupation. At times it captures the irreverent tone of Armando Iannucci, at other times it’s heartbreaking. Either way, it’s unlike any Palestinian film you’ve seen before.
Director: David Osit
9. Solomon’s Stone
A black comedy, Solomon’s Stone follows Hussein, a young Palestinian man, who receives a letter from the Israeli post office to appear in person to receive a package. He has to pay the sum of $20,000 dollars in order to collect that package. Hussein’s curiosity to find out what the package contains drives him to sell everything he owns, despite the outright rejection of his mother, changing their lives forever.
Director: Ramzi Maqdisi
10. Strawberry (2017)
Samir, 43, is the owner of a shoe shop in Ramallah who has never seen the sea. He decides to sneak past the Israeli border with other Palestinian construction workers to fulfill his dream of seeing the sea. Instead, he ends up at a construction site where Anas, 22, asks him to work for him.
Director: Aida Kaadan
11. Roof Knocking (2017)
In case any of the links above stop working, we’ll share one more. This harrowing, acclaimed short set in Gaza follows a woman as she prepares prepares a meal for her family to break the fast in the month of Ramadan when a phone call by an Israeli soldier alerts her that her building will be bombed in 10 minutes.
Director: Sina Salimi
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