EXCLUSIVE: France’s mk2 films and newly launched company Lucky Number are joining forces on international sales for Palestinian director Annemarie Jacir’s epic period drama Palestine 36, previously titled All Before You, for an EFM launch.
Distributors already signed up for the picture include Curzon for the UK, Haut et Court for France and Trignon for Switzerland.
The sales partners have unveiled first images and revealed Jeremy Iron’s presence in the ensemble cast alongside Hiam Abbass (Succession), Kamel Al Basha (House Of Gods), Yasmine Al-Massri (The Strangers Case), Jalal Altawil (Green Border), Robert Aramayo (The King’s Man), Saleh Bakri (The Teacher), Yafa Bakri, Karim Daoud Anaya, Billy Howle (Kid Snow), Dhafer L’Abidine (To My Son) and Liam Cunningham (Game of Thrones).
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Key crew on the film include cinematographer Hélène Louvart (La Chimera, Motel Destino), editor Tania Reddin (Hard Truths), production designer Nael Kanj (The Teacher, Wajib) and composer Ben Frost (Dark).
The picture, Jacir’s most ambitious to date, is set against the backdrop of 1936 Palestine when the territory was under British mandatory control, and explores the lead-up to and events of the Palestinian Arab Revolt from 1936 to 1939.
As villages rise-up against British rule, protagonist 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 an increasingly fascist Europe, and Palestinian calls for independence, all sides spiral towards inevitable collision in a decisive moment for the British Empire and the future of the entire region.
Amid rising tensions, personal destinies become inseparable from the tides of history. From the countryside to the streets of Jerusalem, Palestine 36 brings together Palestinian farmers, city dwellers, and revolutionaries alongside British officers, capturing the human stakes of a revolt that shook the Empire.
Jacir, whose previous feature credits include Salt of the Sea, When I Saw You, Wajib and episodes of Ramy, has been working on the project since before the pandemic.
“For years I’ve dreamed to make a film about the 1936 revolt, one of the most critical moments in our history, but in a way that is intimate, personal and raw. The story follows a group of people that each find themselves in a position they never asked for, and with something so much bigger than they know hanging over them. The film is about the moments in our lives where we are confronted with a choice, a decision that changes us forever,” said Jacir.
“Filming was set to take place entirely on location in Palestine. After October 7, 2023, production was shut down. Filming was partially relocated to Jordan, eventually returning to complete the film in Palestine against all odds,” she continued.
“Making Palestine 36 has been the most difficult and most challenging project of my life. I never imagined the year of blood, violence, and death would be the year I would create something made with so many collective hands and hearts, so much love and defiance.”
Palestine 36 is produced by Ossama Bawardi for Philistine Films (The Stranger’s Case) in Palestine and co-produced by Cat Villiers for Autonomous (The Proposition) and Hani Farsi and Nils Åstrand for Corniche Media (The Time That Remains) in the UK, Olivier Barbier for MK Productions (The Worst Person In The World) in France. Also on board are Katrin Pors for Snowglobe (Godland) in Denmark as well as Azzam Fakhrildin and Hamza Ali.
The film is financed by the BFI (awarding National Lottery funding), BBC Film, Doha Film Institute and Katara Studios, Watermelon Pictures, Red Sea Fund, Roya Media Group (Fares Sayegh and Michael Sayegh), Metafora Productions, Cocoon Films, TRT, the Jordan Film Fund, Koala VFX, the Danish Film Institute, Film I Väst, Sørfond, CNC – Aide au Cinema du Monde, Région Ile-de-France.
“Palestine 36 is the most ambitious film ever made in Palestine. I fell in love with the project the moment I read it, and understood it would be the most exciting and challenging project I’ve ever worked on,” said Bawardi.
“Especially as the first film to tackle this period in Palestine and with such an incredible international cast. We found ourselves making a film about war in the middle of a war, and despite the difficult circumstances, we succeeded in making cinematic history with a personal yet epic story that will speak to many.”
The post MK2 & Lucky Number Board Annemarie Jacir’s ‘Palestine 36’; Unveil First Stills & Jeremy Irons Casting Alongside Hiam Abbass, Saleh Bakri & Liam Cunningham – EFM appeared first on Deadline.
