Once Upon a Time in Gaza

A gritty, darkly comic tale of ordinary life under occupation, where desperation and absurdity collide with sudden violence.

Directed by

Arab Nasser, Tarzan Nasser

Genres

Drama

Starring

Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi

Overview

In 2007, Yahya works at his friend Osama’s falafel shop in Gaza, which doubles as a drug dealing front. His entanglement leads him to witness a terrible crime. A couple years later, Gaza’s Ministry of Culture randomly chooses Yahya to star in a TV series that highlights martyrs and heroes of the resistance. As conflict simmers in the distance, Yahya unexpectedly receives real weapons, heightening the stakes as the show provides him with an opportunity to confront the perpetrator of the offense that changed his life.

How it feels

Dark, satirical, tense and melancholic. Measured and needs your attention.

About

Power, corruption, identity, violence

Content

Strong violence. Mild gore and language. No sexual content.

Note

Written by AI, so it can be wrong. Full breakdown

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Watch the trailer on YouTube (opens in a new tab)