Once Upon a Time in Gaza

Yahya, a young student from Gaza, meets Osama, a charismatic drug dealer, and together they start selling pills at a falafel kiosk using fake prescriptions. The atmosphere in the prison-like city becomes even more stifling when the corrupt police threaten their operation. Two years later, Yahya ends up starring in the first action movie filmed in Gaza, which reflects the real-life crime he witnessed.

Tarantinoesque influences on the structure and depiction of violence are present in Tarzan and Arab Nasser’s third film, which won the duo the Best Director Award in this year’s Cannes Film Festival’s Un Certain Regard section.

Using satire and genre references, the Nasser brothers explore the impact of friendship, crime, and political conflict on everyday life in Gaza. Whether the film is read as a once-upon-a-time fairy tale or an Italian western based on its title, one thing is sure: the film cannot be read as apolitical. Already the first few minutes send a chill down your spine as we hear Trump against a black background speaking about turning Gaza into a Middle Eastern Riviera. This somber crime film from the heart of darkness will not leave you cold.

Otto Kylmälä (translated by Moritz Müller)