The Teacher

This year's opening film is a human drama that takes place in a political landscape. It follows a Palestinian teacher in the occupied West Bank. He is deeply engaged in the resistance struggle while trying to support the younger generation. This is a highly topical film about the future of Palestine.

The Palestinian English teacher Basem struggles after a tragic event in the past and devotes much of his time to his students. He develops a strong bond with Yakoub and his brother Adam, whose home is destroyed by the Israeli army. Meanwhile, a couple attempts to rescue their son, who is being held captive by a Palestinian resistance group.

The film The Teacher, directed by Farah Nabulsi, depicts the abuses against Palestinians in the West Bank and emphasizes the consequences of the actions carried out by the Israeli occupying forces on the civilian population. Homes are demolished, olive groves burned, children imprisoned, and Palestinian civilians killed without consequences in a gripping and well-acted drama about people living under unbearable conditions.

«Shot in occupied territory on the West Bank, “The Teacher” is charged, angry and incredulous about the injustices and indignities visited upon Palestinians there; it’s an effective polemic that views the situation through a variety of characters from a single perspective.»
– Steve Pond, The Wrap –

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Opening Film

THE TEACHER opens Arab Film Days. After the film there will be a gathering in Vikakjelleren from 20.00.

Director

Farah Nabulsi (b. 1978) is a renowned British-Palestinian filmmaker. She gained recognition for her short film The Present (2020), which received an Oscar nomination and won a BAFTA for Best Short Film. Nabulsi made her debut as a feature film director with The Teacher, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2023.

This film is part of