Oscar Nominated Filmmaker Annemarie Jacir — On the Making of Palestine 36
Timestamps are as accurate as they can be but may be slightly off. We encourage you to listen to the full context.
Podcast Summary
In this compelling episode of the How To Academy podcast, filmmaker Anne Marie Jasseer discusses her groundbreaking film "Palestine 36," which chronicles the 1936 Arab revolt against British colonial rule in Palestine. The film received its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival to overwhelming acclaim, including a fifteen-minute standing ovation (00:59), and has been selected to represent Palestine for the Academy Awards. Jasseer shares the extraordinary eight-year journey to bring this epic story to the screen, including the challenges of financing a Palestinian film without state institutional support and the dramatic disruption caused by the October 7, 2023 events that forced production to halt and relocate (07:53). The conversation explores themes of historical representation, the importance of Palestinian voices telling their own stories, and the power of cinema to reclaim forgotten narratives.
- Main themes include the importance of authentic storytelling, the challenges of independent filmmaking in conflict zones, and the role of cinema in preserving and presenting complex historical narratives from underrepresented perspectives.
Speakers
Anne Marie Jasseer
Anne Marie Jasseer is a Palestinian filmmaker whose latest feature film "Palestine 36" has garnered international acclaim, including an Oscar nomination and selection to represent Palestine at the Academy Awards. She has dedicated nearly a decade to bringing this ambitious historical epic to screen, overcoming significant financing and production challenges. Jasseer is known for her commitment to authentic Palestinian storytelling and has previously worked on multiple films shot in Palestine and Jordan.
Georgie Derry
Georgie Derry is the producer and presenter for this episode of the How To Academy podcast. She conducted this in-depth interview with Anne Marie Jasseer, demonstrating strong knowledge of both the film industry and Palestinian history.
Key Takeaways
Fight for Authentic Representation in Your Work
Jasseer emphasizes the critical importance of telling your own story rather than letting others define your narrative. When discussing why Palestinian voices matter in cinema, she states that their film is "from us and in us" (12:05). She refused multiple offers to film elsewhere when faced with production challenges, insisting on shooting in Palestine because "the land is part of this film, and we have to do this. It's our film. We owe... it's ours" (09:07). This demonstrates how professionals can maintain their vision and values even under extreme pressure, ensuring their work remains authentic to their purpose and community.
Embrace Complexity and Contradictions in Your Approach
Rather than presenting simplified narratives, Jasseer deliberately showcases the contradictions within Palestinian society during the 1936 revolt. She explains her interest in "the class... the difference between what was happening with the villagers and what was happening with the upper class Palestinians, to be critical within our own society" (13:35). This approach demonstrates the value of nuanced thinking in professional work, showing that the most impactful projects often acknowledge complexity rather than offering easy answers or black-and-white perspectives.
Prepare Extensively for Large-Scale Projects
The film required unprecedented preparation, with Jasseer starting ten months ahead of normal schedule because "this film was so massive, it was big for us in Palestine. We've never made such a big film" (06:29). The team went as far as restoring an entire village, planting period-appropriate crops like tobacco and cotton, and building military vehicles from scratch (07:20). This level of preparation demonstrates how ambitious professionals must invest significant time and resources upfront to achieve extraordinary results.
Build Strong Community Networks for Support
Without traditional film financing institutions, Jasseer relied on private investors from the Palestinian community who acted as "cultural investors" who "want to see the story on the screen. They know that's missing... they believe in it" (05:59). This financing approach took six years but created a support network invested in the project's success. The lesson for professionals is that building authentic relationships within your community can provide crucial support when traditional channels aren't available.
Adapt and Persist Through Major Disruptions
When October 7 occurred just one week before filming, forcing complete evacuation and lockdown, Jasseer faced pressure to relocate production but maintained her vision. Despite proposals to film in Morocco, Malta, Greece, and Cyprus, she kept "refusing, refusing" until eventually finding a way to complete the film in Palestine (08:52). This demonstrates the importance of staying true to core principles while remaining flexible about methods, showing how professionals can navigate crises without compromising their essential vision.
Statistics & Facts
- The film took almost ten years of development work for Anne Marie Jasseer, with eight years of actual production work (03:25). This statistic illustrates the extraordinary time investment required for ambitious independent filmmaking projects, particularly those dealing with complex historical subjects.
- The financing process alone took six years to complete (06:15), demonstrating the significant challenges faced by Palestinian filmmakers who lack state-sponsored film institutions and must rely on private investors and co-productions.
- Production preparation started ten months ahead of the normal three-month schedule due to the film's massive scale and the need to restore an entire Palestinian village (06:29), showing the extensive planning required for historical epics shot in authentic locations.