It’s hard to grade something like this because it’s a miracle it even exists. We have an anti-colonial film, made by a Palestinian filmmaker, shot in Palestine with multiple postponements due to the genocide, that feels more ambitious and impressive than most modern Hollywood blockbusters. Like, how is this even real?I have my nitpicks with the storytelling and some of the creative choices, but this is the kind of flawed, determined act of resistance that is the real deal, coming from a real place. The spirit of The Battle of Algiers is alive and well.I had the pleasure of watching director Annemarie Jacir take questions, and it made the experience even more special. There are many realities in which this film never got made, and I’m grateful to be living in the one where it did.Chicago International Film Festival: Film #9
