Introduction
Palestine 36 is a major 2025 historical drama written and directed by Annemarie Jacir. The film recounts the 1936-39 Arab Revolt in the British Mandate of Palestine — a pivotal, yet often overlooked, chapter in Middle Eastern history.
Jacir, a Palestinian filmmaker of note, embeds her personal history and the broader Palestinian narrative into this epic production, which had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in September 2025 to a standing ovation.
In what follows, we’ll dive deep into the film’s context, narrative, themes, production, significance and what it offers for viewers — in effect, a blog-style long-form piece suited for your website.
Historical & Cultural Context
To understand Palestine 36, it helps to grasp the backdrop against which it is set. In 1936, the land known as Mandatory Palestine was under British colonial rule, following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire after World War I. Tensions were mounting: Palestinian Arabs were increasingly anxious about land transfer and the arrival of Jewish immigrants fleeing Europe, while the British administration sought to manage conflicting national aspirations.
The Arab Revolt of 1936-39 was the largest and most sustained uprising by Palestinians under the Mandate. It involved strikes, rural insurgency, village attacks, British martial re-action, and it left deep scars on the social, economic and political fabric of the region. Jacir argues this period is “the origin of where we are today,” a formative moment whose repercussions still echo in contemporary grievances.
Very rarely has this revolt been depicted in major cinema from the Palestinian perspective. Accordingly, Palestine 36 sets out to reclaim a narrative space: not just of victimhood or conflict, but of agency, memory and resistance.
Synopsis & Narrative Structure
The film follows the character Yusuf, portrayed by Karim Daoud Anaya, who drifts between his rural home in a Palestinian village and the restless energy of Jerusalem as unrest builds. The story tracks his personal trajectory as village life is disrupted, the revolt grows, and he is drawn into the shake-up of empire, coloniser, settler and native.
Simultaneously, the film presents multiple strands: the village’s rising resistance, the British colonial administration’s efforts to quash the revolt, the influx of Jewish migrants escaping antisemitism in Europe, and the larger clash of futures for the land.
Key characters include veteran Palestinian actors such as Hiam Abbass, Saleh Bakri, and others, as well as British actors such as Jeremy Irons, in roles representing colonial power.
The narrative weaves between intimate human stories—a village girl, a farmer, a worker radicalised by events—and sweeping political upheaval. Scenes of everyday life, revolt, repression and hope interlace to depict how large historical forces ripple through individual lives.
Themes & Motifs
Resistance & Agency
One of the prominent themes is Palestinian resistance—not simply as reaction but as assertion of identity, land, dignity. Jacir frames the revolt as more than a historical footnote; it is a living memory. In one interview she states: “We don’t want a state. We just want to live.”
The Weight of History
Palestine 36 emphasizes that history doesn’t begin neatly in 1948 or 1967; the roots lie earlier. The film asks the viewer to consider how colonialism, land dispossession, migration and revolt formed the contours of later decades. As one review notes, the film is a reminder that “what doesn’t get taught in British schools” shaped the present.
Identity, Home & Displacement
Village life, rural connection, generational memory: the film repeatedly returns to what it means to have a home in a territory in flux. The built environment, landscape, village architecture and the everyday fabric loom large. At the same time, the idea of being uprooted—politically, socially, psychologically—is present. Filming on actual village sets, even under duress, reflects that significance.
Power, Colonialism & the Violence of Empire
The British Mandate’s role, the presence of colonial officers, the use of military repression, all feature in the film as unvarnished power dynamics. One polemical line in the film, “Perhaps you should consider which side of history you want to be on,” serves as a distillation of this confrontation.
Echoes in the Present
Though the film is set in the 1930s, Jacir intends it to feel contemporary: the scenes of brutality, repression, forced displacement are not just historical but resonant with current events. Production itself was disrupted by the war-zones and lockdowns of recent years.
Production, Visuals & Reception
Palestine 36 is a high-ambition film in the Palestinian cinema context. It was filmed on location—Jerusalem (Katamon), Bethlehem (interiors), Jaffa exteriors, and northern Jordan sites used when security issues prevented filming in the West Bank.
Production was itself effected by real-world events: the outbreak of war in October 2023 saw filming halted and production relocate temporarily to Jordan. At one point a village set the crew had built was overtaken by settlers. Jacir described the process as “so difficult to come to life.”
Visually, the film uses archival-style footage, period settings, and immersive cinematography to evoke the tense, charged atmosphere of 1930s Palestine. The reviews praise its sweeping epic feel, though some critique the pacing or the schematic portrayal of British figures. For example, one review gives it three out of five stars, noting that “the two-hour feature is somewhat stifled by its scope” and perhaps suited more to a mini-series.
The film premiered at TIFF 2025 to a 20-minute standing ovation. It has been selected as Palestine’s official entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the Academy Awards.
Why It Matters for Bloggers & Audiences
For anyone writing about history, film, Middle East politics or cinema from marginalised voices, Palestine 36 offers rich terrain:
- Narrative Correction: It fills a gap in cinematic treatments of the 1936-39 Arab Revolt, giving voice to Palestinian agency in a story too often framed from other perspectives.
- Historical Education: Many audiences (especially in the West) are unfamiliar with the revolt and how it shaped today. The film can serve as entry-point for wider learning.
- Visual Storytelling & Place: The film’s commitment to filming on location, under difficult circumstances, adds authenticity and emotional weight.
- Contemporary Resonance: Although a period drama, the film invites reflection on present-day issues of occupation, power, identity and resistance.
- Cinematic Craft: For your blog’s audience of film-enthusiasts, the film offers discussion points around production design, casting, directing, pacing and adaptation of historical material.
When writing your blog, you might focus on one or more of these angles: historical context, auteur background (Jacir’s career), film craft, thematic relevance today, or reception/impact.
Challenges & Considerations
- Because it deals with contested history, reactions will vary: some viewers may feel the film has a particular political framing, or that it simplifies elements of the colonial encounter. For example, some critics note the British officers are rendered somewhat one-dimensionally.
- The pacing and scale may challenge viewers used to fast-cut thrillers. The film is described as “rather stolidly paced and sometimes pedagogically conveyed.”
- Access: Depending on your region, screenings may be limited (and streaming may follow later).
- Balancing background: Your readers may not be familiar with 1930s Palestine, so a bit of historical primer helps without turning into a textbook.
Final Thoughts
Palestine 36 is a landmark film in many senses: ambitious in scope, rooted in place and memory, and boldly political. It asks us to consider how the past lives on, how land and identity are contested, and how cinema can contribute to collective memory.
