Kolkata film festival celebrates the voices of resilience with 3 screenings of Palestine 36

In a ceremony that felt more like an act of solidarity than a mere celebration of cinema, film enthusiasts turned up in huge numbers for the screening of Palestine 36 at the 31st Kolkata International Film Festival on Thursday.

Palestine’s official entry for the 2026 Academy Awards in the International Feature Film category, Palestine 36 had three screenings at the festival, which was held from November 6 and concluded on Thursday.

Directed by Annemarie Jacir, the historical drama, which portrays the 1936-1939 uprising against the British colonial rule in Palestine, explores how the lives of Palestinians profoundly altered as Jewish settlers started arriving on their shores.

Though set in history, the film struck a chord with film patrons who felt it draws parallels between the British crackdown and the ongoing crisis in Gaza amid Israeli strikes.

“These films help humanise what is often dehumanised by the mainstream media. They allow viewers to see Palestinians not only as victims of violence or wrongly viewed as terrorists, but as people with dreams, aspirations, humour, culture, and resilience. The act of screening such films internationally ensures that the conversation around Palestine is not abstract or distant, it is ongoing. And that it remains personal, urgent, and profoundly human,” director of Mehroon, Abu Sohel Khondekar, who was present at the screening, told The Hindu.

“I am no film critic, but I came to see this movie so we can celebrate the voices of Palestine. I know it is about 1936, but I do not think the reality has changed even today. I think it has only got worse. It helped me understand the situation better,” said an audience member.

Another Palestinian film, Songe (Passing Dreams) by director Rashid Masharawi that addresses the theme of displacement and migration, had two screenings at the film festival.