EXCLUSIVE: The Oscar shortlisted movie Palestine ’36 from Palestinian filmmaker Annemarie Jacir will now bow with an exclusive Angelika Film Center engagement in New York City on March 20. This will be followed by Los Angeles, the Bay Area, Chicago, Houston, Washington, DC and a New York expansion on March 27 before a wide break in the top 50 North American markets on April 3. Watermelon Pictures is distributing the movie.
The pic was originally expected to open on Friday, Feb. 13 with a wide break in March, however, the marketplace has a bulk of Oscar-nominated foreign pics on marquees.
Palestine 36 is set against the backdrop of the 1936 Palestinian uprising against British colonial rule. Pic follows Yusuf, a young villager whose life straddles the divide between his rural roots and the politically charged streets of Jerusalem where tensions are rising due to the British Empire’s shadow.
Palestine 36 made its gala premiere at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival. The pic also won the Grand Prix at the Tokyo International Film Festival and the Audience Award at the São Paulo International Film Festival. In addition to the Academy Awards, the pic was shortlisted for the European Film Awards, and Jacir earned a Best Screenplay nomination at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards.
The movie held sneaks in 50 cities in North America over Thanksgiving weekend timed to the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.
Critical score for the movie stands at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes from 27 reviews. The cast includes Hiam Abbass, Saleh Bakri, Liam Cunningham, Jeremy Irons, Yasmine Al Massri, Billy Howle, Dhafer L’Abidine, and Karim Daoud Anaya.