VIDEO: 15-minute ovation: Palestine 36 smashes Toronto Film Festival record
Acclaimed Palestinian filmmaker Annemarie Jacir revealed to Roya that Cameron Bailey, CEO of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), described the response to Palestine 36 as unprecedented in the festival’s history.
According to Jacir, Bailey noted that the film’s world premiere received a standing ovation lasting at least 15 minutes, the longest ever recorded at TIFF.
Jacir emphasized the significance of this moment, underscoring how rare it is for a film to spark such overwhelming applause but it had done so due to the importance of Palestinian stories gaining recognition on one of the world’s most prestigious stages.
The historical drama Palestine 36, directed by Palestinian filmmaker Annemarie Jacir, had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on Friday, drawing a high-profile audience of Arab and international stars while the cast staged a protest on the red carpet demanding an end to “the extermination in Gaza.”
During the premiere at Roy Thomson Hall, actor Karim Dawood Anaya appeared carrying a plastic bag filled with fake blood, containing a camera and a Palestinian keffiyeh, while other cast members waved Palestinian flags and held signs reading “Stop the extermination.” Producer Ossama Bawardi pinned a Palestinian flag to his jacket, and actor Zaid Ghazal raised his hands with the same message written on them.
