Palestine 36

In 1936, as unrest spreads across Palestine, Yusuf moves between Jerusalem and his village, trying to keep his family ties and his own sense of purpose intact. Violence and political tension intrude on daily life, and Yusuf has to weigh loyalties, friendships, and the practical demands of survival. He crosses paths with Khouloud and a British officer, and their interactions highlight how ordinary choices become political under occupation. The film follows scenes of work, love, and small acts of defiance, building a portrait of a society under strain without revealing the outcomes of its pivotal confrontations.

Directed by Annemarie Jacir and released in 2025, Palestine 36 stars Karim Daoud Anaya as Yusuf, Yasmine Al Massri as Khouloud, Billy Howle as Thomas Hopkins, Dhafer L'Abidine as Amir, and Ward Helou as Kareem. The film marks another entry in Jacir's work on Palestinian stories and was made available to critics and audiences in 2025.

Early responses have leaned positive, with an average viewer score of 8.048 out of 10 from 21 votes. Reviewers and festival audiences have noted the film's close focus on everyday people, its attention to historical detail, and its quiet tension. Major themes include colonial power, identity under pressure, community ties, and the moral compromises that war and occupation force on individuals.

Palestine 36 has prompted discussions about how stories from the 1930s are shown on screen, and it's been used in conversations about representation, historical memory, and cinematic approaches to political history. Film communities and social media have highlighted its scenes of domestic life as a counterpoint to more bombastic war films, encouraging debate about nuance and perspective in historical dramas.

As of now, there are no widely reported box office totals for Palestine 36. Public figures on its commercial performance have not been broadly published, consistent with a release pattern focused on festivals and limited theatrical runs rather than a major wide release.