One of the most powerful of the Best International Feature Film contenders this year is Palestine’s entry, Annemarie Jacir’s Palestine 36, which takes a sweeping yet intimate look at a pivotal moment in history for the Palestinian people under British colonial forces. Ahead of a theatrical release in U.S. and Canada beginning in early 2026, we’re pleased to premiere the official poster and new clip for the Toronto International Film Festival world premiere and winner of Tokyo International Film Festival’s top prize of Best Film.
Starring Hiam Abbass, Kamel Al Basha, Yasmine Al Massri, Jalal Altawil, Robert Aramayo, Saleh Bakri, Yafa Bakri, Karim Daoud Anaya, Wardi Eilabouni, Ward Helou, Billy Howle, Dhafer L’Abidine, with Liam Cunningham, and Jeremy Irons, here’s the synopsis: “In 1936, as the British Empire tightens its grip on Palestine, Yusuf is caught between his village home and his work in Jerusalem. Amidst an anti-colonial revolt, and Jewish refugees fleeing persecution from Europe, all sides converge in a decisive moment for the entire region.”
Jared Mobarak said in his TIFF review, “You almost believe Amir (Dhafer L’Abidine) wants the village perspective when asking his chauffeur Yusuf (Karim Daoud Anaya) to explain the Palestinian experience outside the city to a collection of landowners at his table. He’s barely able to get the preamble out before one of the guests reminds him of his place: it’s them who pay British taxes while the farmers never pay off their debts. There’s no clearer picture of just how powerful a role greed plays in our world’s tone-deaf political discord. They ignore their kin’s real issues while wondering if “Zionism could be a good thing,” since their property matters most. That’s the crucial context writer-director Annemarie Jacir provides within her latest film Palestine 36––a sprawling epic compared to her previous character-driven dramas. She’s giving weight to each and every piece of the puzzle that ultimately led us to today’s genocide of the Palestinian people by the hands of Israel’s Zionist regime.”
See the exclusive clip and poster below, and return for our conversation with the director.
