Cannes in Review: ‘Once Upon a Time in Gaza’

Arab and Tarzan Nasser first drew international acclaim at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival with ‘Gaza Mon Amour’. Twelve years later, the visionary Palestinian brothers return with ‘Once Upon a Time in Gaza’. Set in 2007, against the backdrop of a blockaded city, the dramedy tells the story of a student who strikes up an unlikely alliance with a small-time Lyrica dealer. Before they know it, they both get caught in the crosshairs of a corrupt police officer.

Selected for the Un Certain Regard section, the film is a low-key crime caper that doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s laced with humor and grounded in the everyday hustle of survival. Unlike many depictions of Gaza, the Israeli occupation here simmers in the background rather than taking center stage. Instead, the focus is on the resourcefulness, wit, and resilience of those making the most of life within a place that offers them so little. It shows that even under siege, people find ways to outsmart the systems that try to contain them.

The story begins with Ossama faking an illness to obtain a prescription for Lyrica. While the doctor briefly steps out, Ossama seizes the moment. He steals the prescription pad and stamps it with the clinic’s official seal. He then teams up with Yahya, a former student, and together they drive around the city, hitting pharmacy after pharmacy to stock up on Lyrica sheets. When Ossama attempts to sell the pills, he crosses paths with Abou Sami, a corrupt police officer. Sami pressures Ossama to turn informant and name his associates involved in the drug scheme. Ossama refuses. This sets off a violent confrontation.

To reveal anything more would spoil the experience. The film thrives on its unpredictable energy, constantly wrong-footing the audience just when they think they’ve figured it out. What starts as a low-stakes hustle quickly spirals into something far more chaotic. I was all in for the ride. It’s that element of surprise, those sharp tonal shifts, that give the film its charm. Part of the thrill is never quite knowing what it might throw at you next.

There’s a film-within-a-film element that I found absolutely hilarious. It involves the making of The Rebel, which is meant to be Gaza’s first-ever action movie. It’s based on the life of a martyred resistance fighter. But the budget is so low, the characters end up using real bullets on set. As they shoot, both literally and figuratively, the looming threat of an Israeli drone mistaking the production for militant activity hangs over them like a dark cloud. It’s brilliantly absurd.

In one scene, a character mentions the idea of resistance through images. That line reverberates beyond the screen. It speaks directly to the film’s deeper purpose. On a meta level, that’s exactly what the Nassers are doing. They are using cinema itself as a creative act of defiance. Their characters are hustlers, dreamers, schemers, and storytellers navigating the tightrope of everyday life in an occupied land. The end result is a wildly entertaining, politically charged, and darkly comic gem. With Once Upon a Time in Gaza, the Nasser brothers pull off something so rare. They created a film that is both unflinching and unexpectedly uplifting. It demands to be seen.