ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA

2025, dirs. Tarzan Nasser, Arab Nasser
France, Palestine, Germany, Portugal, Qatar, Jordan; 90 min.
In Arabic with English subtitles

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. 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 a chance to confront the person responsible for the offense that changed his life.

Preceded by the short films:

A SHORT FILM ABOUT A CHAIR

2024, dir. Ibrahim Handal, 10 min.

A lonely chair on an abandoned balcony, a photographer watching it day and night. A strange thing happens that will change the life of the chair for ever.

STUCK

2025, dir. Usman Ally, 11 min.

On the morning of October 7th, Dana — a drifting young Palestinian-American woman — wakes up to a world that’s suddenly shifted. Haunted by the younger spirit of her father, a legendary activist, she’s pushed to confront her fear, her inheritance, and her voice as tensions rise around her.

Producer Dana Saleh Omar will be present for opening remarks. Actress Gloria Imseih Petrelli and Composer Ronnie Malley will be present.