All That’s Left of You
Description
An epic drama spanning three generations and over 70 years in the life of a Palestinian family, this dynamic and heart-wrenching film centers the story in the personal while also depicting the dehumanizing political situation surrounding its characters. The narrative begins in 1988 in the Occupied West Bank where Salim (Saleh Bakri, The Teacher, Festival 2024) lives with his wife Hanan (writer/director Cherien Dabis) and son Noor. The boy, increasingly rebellious against what he sees as his dad’s inaction, takes to the streets to protest the occupation, where something happens that will change the course of the family’s life. As a lengthy flashback explains how events that occurred in 1948 shaped Salim’s diffident personality, the narrative relays a textured story of a husband and father who becomes despondent in the face of constant oppression. With powerful performances and a propulsive narrative, All That’s Left of You is a stirring representation of survival amid intergenerational trauma. —Rod Armstrong
Biographies
Palestinian American writer/director Cherien Dabis made her feature debut with Amreeka (2009), winner of the Directors’ Fortnight FIPRESCI Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, followed by May in Summer (2013). A prolific television director, she was nominated for a 2022 Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series for Only Murders in the Building.
