
Palestine 36: A Conversation with Annemarie Jacir
From This Is Palestine by The Institute for Middle East Understanding
January 29, 2026 · 31 min · Episode 143
About this episode
Diana Buttu interviews Annemarie Jacir about her film Palestine 36, exploring its historical context and significance in Palestinian cinema.
In this episode of This Is Palestine, host Diana Buttu speaks with Palestinian writer and director Annemarie Jacir about her Academy Award shortlisted film, Palestine 36. The historical drama is set during the Great Palestinian Revolt against British colonial rule. At the heart of the film is Al-Basma, a fictional village inspired by the Palestinian villages of Lifta and Al-Bassa, which were destroyed and whose Palestinian residents were expelled by Zionist militant forces. Described as “epic” and a “masterpiece”, Palestine 36 weaves personal stories with the political realities of the era. Jacir reflects on the obstacles of bringing the film to life, the depth and complexity of its characters, and the importance of Palestinian cinema in confronting erasure and telling our history on our own terms. The film is Palestine’s official submission to the 98th Academy Awards for Best International Film. Thank you for tuning into This is Palestine, the official podcast of The IMEU! For more stories and resources, visit us at imeu.org. Stay connected with us: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theimeu/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/theIMEU Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theIMEU/ For…
People in this episode
Host: Diana Buttu
Guest: Annemarie Jacir
Topics covered
- Palestinian cinema
- historical drama
- Great Palestinian Revolt
- British colonial rule
- film production
- cultural identity
Keywords
- Palestine 36
- Annemarie Jacir
- Diana Buttu
- Palestinian cinema
- Great Palestinian Revolt
- British colonial rule
- Academy Awards
- film production
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: Palestine 36
Places: Palestine, British, Lifta, Al-Bassa
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