The screening will be followed by a Q&A with Mo’min Swaitat.

Set in the years before the Second World War, this historical epic documents a critical moment in the modern history of the Middle East. As villages in Mandatory Palestine revolt against British rule, Yusuf moves between his rural home and Jerusalem, yearning for a life beyond the unrest. With increasing Jewish immigration from Europe and a widespread Palestinian uprising against three decades of British domination, tensions mount and all sides spiral toward a decisive, history‑shaping collision.

Speakers

Mo’min Swaitat is a London-based Palestinian actor, with a background in theatre and film, who can be seen in the 2024 breakout independent film The Ceremony, twice nominated for British Independent Film Awards, and awarded the inaugural Sean Connery Prize at Edinburgh Film Festival. He also stars in Annemarie Jacir’s, epic film (Palestine 36), playing Sameh, and in Dutch co-production Last Shot (dir. Parham Rahimzadeh). Mo’min trained at the Freedom Theatre (Jenin) and arthaus (formerly LISPA) in London/Berlin. He has considerable stage experience, including in renowned international touring productions of Animal Farm, Alice in Wonderland and Waiting for Godot. In 2019, he starred in Common Wealth’s I have met the enemy and the enemy is us, described in the media as “an explosive, techno-soundtracked assault on the military machine”. Mo’min Swaitat is also the founder of Palestinian Sound Archive in 2019 but is comprised of and supported by freelance visual and sound artists, musicians, DJs, curators, organisers and researchers.

Donations

All donations from this year’s festival will go to Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS), providing humanitarian assistance as well as health and social services to Palestinians whenever and wherever needed. You can donate when buying tickets.