Mood

Directed by Arab Nasser +1

Once Upon a Time in Gaza

كان ياما كان في غزة

An atmospheric, dark drama.

Ο Άραμπ και ο Ταρζάν Νάσερ μας ταξιδεύουν στη Γάζα του 2007, και διηγούνται τις περιπέτειες ενός νεαρού φοιτητή κι ενός χαρισματικού εστιάτορα που μαζί με τις παραδόσεις φαλάφελ αρχίζουν να διακινούν και ναρκωτικά, όμως σύντομα αναγκάζονται να αναμετρηθούν με έναν διεφθαρμένο αστυνομικό.

Letterboxd

Where to watch

2
Athens

Tuesday, 23 June

Open Air · From €2

Wednesday, 24 June

Open Air · From €2

Showtimes for Once Upon a Time in Gaza
Once Upon a Time in Gaza

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Cast & crew

7

What people say

shookone1.0

beneath average filmmaking with flaws all over the place, from storytelling via character design to pacing. a film that has a rough idea what it wants to be and goes nowhere with it. the biggest joke is on Cannes giving it the best directors award in un certain regard of all things. what a ridiculous tendency to show 'Palestinian cinema' as proof of a people's right to existence by factoring out the actual atrocity - as in "we got the news magazines for that matter", and "who wants to be confronted with the bloody reality in a beautiful place like a festival?" - while going into a wishful dream mode of a better world. classic behavior, you've seen this in the recent years as well when out of a sudden 'Ukrainian cinema' became a thing, although it never was before, trying to forcefully pushing films from a war-torn country into the limelight in a moment their film production technically stopped. we see this here again now, and I predict 'Taiwanese cinema' might be next. poses the question: what about films from Sudan, Kurdistan or the Congo?

Matt Neglia2.0

ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA was a colossal disappointment for me. From the opening minutes, when the film can’t decide how it wants to begin, it settles on a story & character that are compelling on the surface but fail to carry any meaningful thematic weight on a larger scale. Uneven, messy storytelling & only occasionally engaging, the “Once Upon a Time” title feels wasted, especially given the urgency & gravity of the current situation in Gaza, which deserves a more epic & resonant story than this.

Arthur Cios Vandenbroucke3.5

Pas parfait, trop peu subtil, étrangement construit en deux blocs distincts… Certes.Mais purée, raconter avec autant de distance et de proximité en même temps comment Gaza est meurtri, depuis trop longtemps, et ne peut se reconstruire du fait de la violence de l’ennemi, qui elle-même ne peut qu’engendrer un esprit de vengeance et de revanche, quitte à se tirer une balle dans le pied.. c’est fort quand même, très fort.Et le tout avec une pointe d’humour et de genre, en faisant du vrai cinéma, autant imbibé de western que de thriller ?Bah oui en fait.Gazawood🍉🍉🍉

Common questions
What is Once Upon a Time in Gaza about?+

The film follows a falafel shop worker in 2007 Gaza who becomes involved in a criminal scheme and is later recruited to star in a state-sponsored film project, leading to an unexpected confrontation. Find showtimes on Mood.

Who directed Once Upon a Time in Gaza?+

The film is directed by Arab and Tarzan Nasser, Palestinian filmmakers known for their distinct approach to regional storytelling.

Has Once Upon a Time in Gaza won any awards?+

Yes, the film won the Best Directing Award in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival.

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