Palestine '36

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Palestine '36

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1h 58m

Biography

History

Drama

War

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

100%

Tomatometer

42 Reviews

82%

Popcornmeter

100+ Ratings

1936. As villages across mandatory Palestine rise against British colonial rule, Yusuf drifts between his rural home and the restless energy of Jerusalem, longing for a future beyond the growing unrest. But history is relentless. With rising numbers of Jewish immigrants escaping antisemitism in Europe, and the Palestinian population uniting in the largest and longest uprising against Britain's 30-year dominion, all sides spiral towards inevitable collision in a decisive moment for the British Empire and the future of the entire region.

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Critics Consensus

A sweeping yet intimate historical epic, Palestine '36 demands careful attention to its intricately woven storytelling, rewarding viewers with a humanist, clear-eyed act of remembrance.

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Robert Abele

Los Angeles Times

6d

As overdue tales of history go, “Palestine ‘36” is certainly more of a blunt instrument than a novelistic endeavor. But its broad strokes and rooted passions easily earn their place, and deserve to inspire more such stories.

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Justin Chang

The New Yorker

Mar 26

Its strength lies in the creation of characters who, although sometimes forced to function stiffly as rhetorical mouthpieces, seem genuinely conflicted and caught off guard by the brutal interventions of history.

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Carlos Aguilar

RogerEbert.com

Mar 26

3.5/4

That a traditionally realized historical drama with impeccable production value and consistently effective performances centers the Palestinian perspective makes for an essential endeavor.

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Liam Lacey

Original Cin

3d

B

Palestine ’36 impresses with its big-screen ambition though you may struggle to keep track of the characters.

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Christopher Lloyd

The Film Yap

3d

3.5/5

A bracing look at an unheralded piece of turbulent Middle East history from an explicitly pro-Palestine viewpoint.

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Patrick McDonald

HollywoodChicago.com

Mar 29

4.5/5

As history repeats itself over and over, the remarkable and unescapable perspective in Jacir’s film is that often the native peoples in a region ripe for colonial plucking are the ones who suffer the most. And Palestinians more so. W/Jacir interview.

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Dee Anna

5h

Accurate historical information

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Johnny

6h

An important film that needs to be watched.

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Desmond B

9h

Hollywood is trying their best to make sure this movie isnt seen.... so few places are showing it. Drove almost 30 miles to find a theater showing it. Highly highly recommend checking this out if you have a chance. Really well done historical epic for a topic that needs to be featured more.

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George

1d

Much of the history was new to me.

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Matthew R

1d

What an illuminating story. And beautifully shot and edited. Filmmaker’s decison to tell the story from the Arab-British relationship and not try to bring in the settlers and Zionist refugees from Europe results in a focused film that amplifies the extreme damage and injustice that the brief yet significant British colonial period had on Palestine. The details and cinematography of this film are superb as is the acting by several main characters.

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Tee

1d

Vivid and moving historical depiction, rarely told, of how Palestinian land was taken by the British and zionists prior to Israeli statehood.

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Annemarie Jacir

Director

Jeremy Irons

Actor

Liam Cunningham

Actor

Robert Aramayo

Actor

Hiam Abbass

Actor

Kamel El Basha

Actor

Palestine 36: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

1936. As villages across mandatory Palestine rise against British colonial rule, Yusuf drifts between his rural home and the restless energy of Jerusalem, longing for a future beyond the growing unrest. But history is relentless. With rising numbers of Jewish immigrants escaping antisemitism in Europe, and the Palestinian population uniting in the largest and longest uprising against Britain's 30-year dominion, all sides spiral towards inevitable collision in a decisive moment for the British Empire and the future of the entire region.

Director: Annemarie Jacir
Producer: Ossama Bawardi
Screenwriter: Annemarie Jacir
Distributor: Watermelon Pictures
Production Co: Philistine Films, Autonomous, Corniche Media, MK Productions, Snowglobe
Genre: Biography, History, Drama, War
Original Language: Arabic
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 28, 2025, Limited
Runtime: 1h 58m