By Rita Di Santo
The enduring situation in Gaza has led to a profound erasure of its population, culture, and identity. In this context, it is crucial to highlight the films emerging from this region, as they serve as powerful expressions of resilience and cultural heritage.
One such film, Once Upon a Time in Gaza, by Tarzan and Arab Nasser, has garnered international attention by being showcased at the Cannes Film Festival in the ‘Un Certain Regard’ category. It’s remarkable storytelling and direction earned it the Best Directing Award, marking a significant achievement for Palestinian cinema.
The film, reminiscent of a Western, is the work of Palestinian directors Tarzan and Arab Nasser (aka Ahmed and Mohamed Abunasser).
Born in the Gaza Strip in 1988, the twin brothers attempt to portray their homeland with humour and subtle social commentary. Their stories typically focus on everyday people living in Gaza.
The film adopts a vintage 1960s Spaghetti Western style, drawing inspiration from Sergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time in the West and Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
The film opens with a plain black screen, and Donald Trump’s voice-over introducing his wild plan to turn Gaza into ‘the Riviera of the Middle East.’
The story then unfolds, starting in Gaza in 2007 and focusing on Yahya, a student who forms an unlikely friendship with Osama, a charismatic restaurant owner and small-time criminal with a good heart.
Together, they venture into the world of drug sales, specifically dealing in painkillers prescribed by Osama’s doctor. To procure these medications, Osama cleverly takes pages from the doctor’s prescription book, allowing him to obtain the painkillers from local pharmacies.
They ingeniously hide the pills inside falafel sandwiches for sale. Despite their differing personalities – Osama’s boldness contrasting with Yahya’s more anxious demeanour – they find themselves entangled in trouble with a corrupt police officer.
The narrativethen jumps two years ahead, shifting focus as a traumatized Yahya is approached by a film director. Yahya resembles a militant – whose funeral is shown at the beginning of the movie – and he is cast to play him in an action film sponsored by Gaza’s Ministry of Culture. Yahya finds himself on a set where real weapons are used.
The film’s two chapters differ significantly: the first centres on the town’s daily life, particularly Osama at the falafel shop, while the second emphasizes Yahya’s transformation into a symbol of Palestinian resistance, portraying a soldier who becomes a martyr, or Shaheed.
The concept of a film-within-a-film explores the relationship between cinema and reality, implying that fiction can serve as a form of cultural struggle and resistance. Themes of resistance and martyrdom are central in Palestinian culture.
The situation in Gaza is ever-present, reflected in the newspaper headlines used to wrap falafel, or in the daily lives of Gaza’s people, such as when a Palestinian actor portraying IDF soldier is mistaken for a real soldier by a passerby.
The film consistently references the struggle against Israel, from the drones circling overhead to a humorous scene where an actor playing an Israeli officer in a promotional video refuse to step on a Palestinian flag.
Near the end, flashbacks reveal brighter days when Osama and Yahya first met.
Through its narrative, the film illustrates the daily realities faced by the people of Gaza, emphasizing their resilience and endurance in the face of challenging circumstances, evocative of ‘living inside a prison sealed from every direction.’
This intense drama employs various film genres – revenge thriller, action movie, comedy – to comment on Gaza’s current plight indirectly but powerfully, while also providing historical context on life and struggles in Gaza City.
The film highlights the strength and hope of a community often overlooked in broader narratives. At the end, large words appear on the screen in Arabic and English: ‘One Day, it will end.’
