Annmarie Jacir’s ambitious historical drama focuses on the turbulent year of 1936, when Palestinian resistance to British colonial rule and the pressures of mass displacement exploded into revolution. The film follows Yusuf, a young man torn between his rural home and the streets of Jerusalem, drawn unwillingly into the uprising against British rule. As Jewish refugees fleeing growing fascism in Europe arrive in increasing numbers, Yusuf watches loyalties shift, relationships strain, and the very land around him become a battleground of identity and power. Jeremy Irons plays High Commissioner Wauchope, a colonial official tasked with maintaining order amidst escalating protests and mounting pressure from all sides. Annemarie Jacir weaves sweeping historical scope with intimate human stories to illuminate a pivotal moment whose reverberations echo into the present.

There will be Open Captioned screenings at 16.00 on Saturday, November 1st, and 18.15 on Wednesday, November 5th.

Notes by David O’Mahony