The voice of resilience was celebrated at the Kolkata Film Festival with three screenings of Palestine 36. Really?

At an event that felt more like a celebration of solidarity than just a cinema festival, film enthusiasts turned out in large numbers on Thursday for the screening of Palestine 36 at the 31st Kolkata International Film Festival. Palestine 36, the official entry from Palestine in the International Feature Film category for the 2026 Academy Awards, had three screenings at the festival, which began on November 6 and concluded on Thursday. Directed by Anemeri Zaakir, the historical drama, which depicts the 1936-1939 revolt against British colonial rule in Palestine, shows how Palestinian lives were profoundly changed as Jewish settlers began arriving on their shores. Though set in history, the film struck a chord with film curators, who felt that ‘these films help highlight the humanity that mainstream media often fails to portray humanely. They give audiences a chance to see Palestinians not just as victims of violence or wrongfully understood as terrorists.’ Screening such films internationally ensures that conversations around Palestine are not abstract or distant, but continue. And that they remain personal, necessary, and deeply human,” said Meheroon’s director Abu Sohel Khondekar, who was present at this screening. “I came to watch this film so that we could celebrate the voices of Palestine. I know this is from 1936, but I don’t think reality has changed even today. It helped me better understand the situation,” said one viewer. Another Palestinian film, Songs (Passing Dreams) by director Rashid Masharawi, which deals with the theme of displacement and migration, was shown twice at this festival.