Unlikely Gaza duo win directing award at Cannes

Maverick directing duo surprise the Croisette

With typical dry humour, the Palestinian directing duo Tarzan and Arab Nasser called their movie “Once Upon a Time in Gaza”. The reference to a classic Sergio Leone western is deliberate. The twin brothers have been making films in Gaza for some time, despite the complications of working in a war zone and under the eye of Hamas.

“Once Upon a Time in Gaza” is a look behind the headlines at Gazans trying to get by. In this case, the owner of a snack bar and a petty criminal start using the bar to sell drugs. A pushy cop puts pressure on them. But things change when one is offered a role in an action movie.

How do you make a movie in Gaza?

How do you make a movie in Gaza? The answer is: with extreme difficulty. The pair typically have to do everything themselves – from the writing to building the sets. This movie took several years to finish.

“We’ve been working on it for 10 years,” Arab Nasser told Deadline Studio. “It’s not new. We didn’t choose the timing but luckily it happened. We give people an opportunity to see life in Gaza. Real life in Gaza is something very different from what you see on TV… These people you see in the movie, these are the people being killed now.”

The movie was accepted into the Cannes sidebar Un Certain Regard, which showcases innovative filmmaking. It was called “a powerful ode to Palestinian resilience” by NationalNews. The pair picked up an award for the directing.

Now resident in France, their next movie will be about three women.

(Michael Leahy. Deadline et al. Photo: picture alliance / Anadolu | Mustafa Yalcin)