In 2007, Yahya is working at his friend Osama’s falafel shop in Gaza, which doubles as a front for drug dealing. His entanglement in the operation leads him to witness a terrible crime. A couple of years later, Gaza’s Ministry of Culture randomly chooses Yahya to star in a TV series that highlights martyrs and heroes of the resistance. As conflict simmers in the background, Yahya unexpectedly receives real weapons, heightening the stakes as the show provides him with an opportunity to confront the person responsible for the offense that changed his life. This third feature from twin Palestinian directors Tarzan and Arab Nasser delivers dark comedy, political satire, and a piercing critique of the ongoing violence affecting Gaza, both interpersonal and political. The film earned the Nassers the Un Certain Regard Prize for Best Director at Cannes. —Zaha Cheema
Tarzan Nasser
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Arab Nasser
Tarzan Nasser and Arab Nasser are twins, born in Gaza in 1988, who turned to filmmaking after getting fine arts degrees from Al-Aqsa University. Their short film, Condom Lead (2013), was the first Palestinian film to premiere in the short films official competition at Cannes. They made their feature debut with Dégradé (2015), the winner of the Golden Athena at the Athens International Film Festival. That was followed byGaza mon amour (2020), the winner of the NETPAC Award at the Toronto International Film Festival.