Gaza-born twin brothers Tarzan and Arab Nasser’s “Once Upon a Time in Gaza,” their riff on the Western genre that premiered last year in Un Certain Regard, won best film at the 10th Critics Awards for Arab Films during an event held on the sidelines of the Cannes Film Festival.
“Once Upon a Time in Gaza,” which last year won the Un Certain Regard best directing prize, follows a young student named Yahya and a charismatic drug dealer named Osama who, while peddling drugs out of a falafel restaurant, are forced to grapple with a corrupt cop who has a big ego.
Annemarie Jacir’s “Palestine 36,” which reconstructs the largely unknown Palestinian revolt against British colonial rule in 1936, scored the best screenplay award for Jacir and the best cinematography prize for Hélène Louvart.
The best director prize went to “All That’s Left of You” by Palestinian-American multi-hyphenate Cherien Dabis, a sweeping epic featuring three generations of Palestinians that takes its cue from a Palestinian teen confronting Israeli soldiers at a West Bank protest.
Organized by the Arab Cinema Centre (ACC), the Critics’ Awards For Arab Films that highlight the best achievements in Arab filmmaking over the past year, were voted on by 307 Arab and international critics from 75 countries this year.
“As we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Critics Awards for Arab Films, our mission has remained steadfast: to spotlight the finest Arab films and talents and help bring them the international recognition they deserve,” commented ACC Co-Founders Alaa Karkouti and Maher Diab.
This year’s winners are:
Best Feature Film
“Once Upon a Time in Gaza” Arab and Tarzan Nasser, Palestine
Best Screenplay
Annemarie Jacir, “Palestine 36”
Best Director
Cherien Dabis, “All That’s Left of You”
Best Actress
Deborah Christelle Naney, “Promised Sky”
Best Actor
Adham Shukr, “The Settlement”
Best Music
Suad Bushnaq, “Yunan”
Best Editing
Ameer Fakher Eldin, “Yunan”
Best Cinematography
Hélène Louvart, “Palestine 36”
Best Documentary
“The Lions by the River Tigris,” Zaradasht Ahmed, Iraq
Best Short Film
“I’m Glad You’re Dead Now,” Tawfeek Barhom, Palestine
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