Once Upon a Time in Gaza

Before the (most recent) war, before the fear, the hunger, and the violence, how did real life look like on Palestinian land? Nobody can depict it more eloquently and cinematically than brothers Arab and Tarzan Nasser who, following Dégradé and Gaza Mon Amour, continue the social chronicle of Gaza and win the Best Director Award in the “Un Certain Regard” section at the Cannes Film Festival. In Gaza in 2007, young Yaya is working at Osama’s shop, selling falafel and illegal painkillers, a line of business that will lead the latter to his demise. Yaya swears to avenge him but upon encountering his “target,” his view of him and of his own fate changes. Action and tension collide with popular comedy in a film with characters under unprecedented pressure, ready to explode at any given moment.