Year 1936. As villages across Palestine rise against British colonial rule, Yusuf drifts between his rural home and the restless energy of Jerusalem, longing for a future beyond the growing unrest. But history is relentless. With rising numbers of Jewish immigrants escaping antisemitism in Europe and some arriving with nefarious Zionist-colonial ambitions, and the Palestinian population uniting in the largest and longest uprising against Britain’s 30-year dominion, all sides spiral towards inevitable collision in a decisive moment for the British Empire and the future of the entire region.
Karim Daoud Anaya, Hiam Abbass, Robert Aramayo, Yasmine Al Massri, Billy Howle, Dhafer L'Abidine, Ward Helou, Yafa Bakri, Wardi Eilabouni, Saleh Bakri, Jalal Altawil, Jeremy Irons, Kamel El Basha, Joanna Arida, Sofia Asir, Eid Aziz, Samer Bisharat, Liam Cunningham, Hussam Abu Eisheh, Ahmed Shihab-Eldin
Curator Review
Verdict
An ambitious, politically charged historical drama that feels urgent and culturally significant, with strong period atmosphere and a clear anti-colonial point of view. It sounds most compelling as an epic of resistance and lived history, though some viewers may find the storytelling uneven or more admirable than fully absorbing as drama.
Best for
Viewers interested in Palestinian history and anti-colonial cinema
Audiences who like sweeping historical dramas with political urgency
Festivalgoers drawn to serious, issue-driven epics
Fans of films that balance intimate lives with larger historical forces
Skip if
You want neutral, even-handed historical storytelling
You prefer lighter pacing or cleanly conventional structure
You’re looking for escapist entertainment rather than political cinema
You’re sensitive to films with overtly partisan historical framing
Overview
Palestine 36 appears to be the kind of historical epic that matters as much for its existence as for its execution. Set during the 1936 Arab revolt under the British Mandate, it uses one young man’s drifting life to track a society being pushed toward rupture, with the personal and political constantly colliding. The result sounds tense, mournful, and deliberately urgent.
Worth noting
The strongest response from viewers seems to be to its scale and conviction: a Palestinian-made film, shot in Palestine, that treats colonial violence and resistance as lived reality rather than distant history. That gives it force and moral clarity, even when the storytelling is said to be a little crowded or uneven. It’s the sort of film that can feel both necessary and imperfect.
Bottom line
If you’re drawn to historical dramas that foreground empire, occupation, and the cost of resistance, this should land hard. If you need strict balance or polished narrative ease, it may feel more admirable than fully seamless. But as a piece of political cinema, it sounds substantial and timely.
Top Letterboxd reviews
oluc (5★) · 1714 likes
It’s hard to grade something like this because it’s a miracle it even exists. We have an anti-colonial film, made by a Palestinian filmmaker, shot in Palestine with multiple postponements due to the genocide, that feels more ambitious and impressive than most modern Hollywood blockbusters. Like, how is this even real?
I have my nitpicks with the storytelling and some of the creative choices, but this is the kind of flawed, determined act of resistance that is the real deal,… more
LetMeExplain (4.5★) · 1015 likes
So good that the negative reviews start off by apologizing
Will Sloan · 551 likes
An admirable epic historical drama about British-Zionist occupation of Palestine a decade before the founding of the State of Israel, with its sympathies unambiguously (and refreshingly) aligned to the Palestinian cause. Successfully keeps a lot of plates spinning, balancing smaller-scaled stories with broader historical movements/forces, and doing justice to various factions of the Arab world without ever becoming hard to follow.
Co-starring Jeremy Irons as Joe Biden.
"Oh, there's gonna be a slant here..." - Loud audience member after a series of Arab production-company logos flashed onscreen
Terence Ang 洪偉凱 (4★) · 455 likes
The Brits always at the scene of the crime (against humanity).
This happened in 1936. The Holocaust was from 1941 to 1945. That means Zionists were murdering Palestinians even before the Holocaust. Let that sink in.
grandebavardeuse (5★) · 418 likes
Envie d’assoir Édouard Philippe devant le film et ses représentations des massacres et de lui demander de répéter fort et clair que la colonisation n’est pas un crime pendant que le générique de fin défile juste pour voir
An animated political coming-of-age story that connects personal awakening to national upheaval.
Topics
historical drama, war drama, political cinema, anti-colonial, Middle Eastern history, period epic, occupation, resistance, ensemble drama, festival film