Twin brothers Tarzan and Arab Nasser, known collectively as the Nasser Brothers, were born in Gaza and have emerged as two of the most distinctive voices in contemporary Palestinian cinema. They began their filmmaking journey with a series of short films, including CONDOM LEAD, which was selected for Cannes’ Critics’ Week, marking their arrival on the international stage. They followed with their debut feature, DÉGRADÉ, a sharp, contained drama set entirely inside a Gaza hair salon, which premiered at the 68th Cannes Critics’ Week and earned widespread critical acclaim for its bold storytelling and dark humor. Their second feature, GAZA MON AMOUR, expanded their global reach, premiering in the Orizzonti section of the Venice International Film Festival and serving as Palestine’s official submission to the 93rd Academy Awards.
ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA: The Nasser Brothers’ latest, and third, feature film world premiered at the 78th Cannes Film Festival’s Un Certain Regard, marking their third appearance at the French powerhouse festival and winning the best director award.
Praise Across the Board: Aside from boasting a festival run of more than 20 destinations, ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA has Arab World premiered at the 46th Cairo International Film Festival — where it won yet another Best Director Award, along with Best Actor for Majd Eid and Best Arab Feature Film — opened the Toronto Palestine Film Festival, and earned a Best Performance Award for Majd Eid and Nader Abd Alhay at the Doha International Film Festival.
