Annemarie Jacir on PALESTINE 36 (Oscar Shortlisted) | Why This Film Matters Now

A conversation with the Oscar-shortlisted director on history, myth, and the making of PALESTINE 36

What happens when history challenges the story we’ve been told?

In this episode of INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE, we sit down with acclaimed filmmaker Annemarie Jacir to discuss her new film PALESTINE 36, a powerful historical drama that revisits the years leading up to the creation of the State of Israel and offers a perspective rarely explored in narrative cinema.

For decades, the history of Palestine during this period has been shaped as much by cultural myth as by documented fact—popularized through works like Exodus and reinforced through generations of storytelling. But what happens when those narratives are questioned?

As John Ford famously wrote in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance: “When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.”
PALESTINE 36 pushes in the opposite direction.

In our conversation, Annemarie Jacir reflects on the historical context behind the film, the challenge of telling politically and culturally sensitive stories, and the long journey of bringing PALESTINE 36 to the screen.

Premiering at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival to a 20-minute standing ovation and shortlisted for the Academy Award for Best International Feature, PALESTINE 36 has already emerged as one of the most talked-about international films of the year.

The film opens in New York City on March 20, expands to Los Angeles on March 27, and continues its North American rollout in the weeks that follow.

This interview was recorded in person at the Royal Theatre.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices