The Oscar-shortlisted film Palestine 36 tells the story of a pivotal but little-known Arab rebellion in 1936. Director Annemarie Jacir described her production as a statement about Palestinians’ “refusal to disappear.”
Filming began just before Israel’s invasion of Gaza in October 2023. Jacir admitted the project was a “financial disaster” due to the war and logistical challenges. Despite this, the critical acclaim and its shortlisting for an Oscar have brought hope to the filmmaker and team.
Palestine 36 was nominated by Palestine for Best International Feature. It is one of four films tackling the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in contention for the Academy Awards in March 2026. Jacir said the film is not meant to “save” Palestinians but to preserve their history and identity.
The film focuses on events in 1936, a year rarely explored in cinematic history. During this time, colonial Britain struggled to govern Palestine after World War I. Tensions rose between the Muslim-majority population and Jewish immigrants fleeing persecution in Europe. Jacir explained that this year set the stage for decades of conflict.
Palestine 36 follows a wide range of characters, including villagers losing land to Zionist settlers, members of the Palestinian economic elite, and British administrators enforcing repressive policies. The mostly Arabic-speaking cast features Jeremy Irons as a cynical British High Commissioner and Hiam Abbass as a defiant village elder.
The war in Gaza forced Jacir to abandon a recreated 1930s village in the West Bank and move production to Jordan. She praised the financiers, including the BBC and British Film Institute, for supporting the project despite the setbacks.
The film culminates with the Peel Commission’s proposal to partition Palestine and create a Jewish state. Ninety years later, Palestinians remain confined to Gaza and the Israeli-controlled West Bank.
Jacir will learn later this month if Palestine 36 receives the Oscar nomination for Best International Feature. The film has been praised for shedding light on a crucial part of history that is often overlooked.
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