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Cannes-winning ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA arrives in Jordanian cinemas this October
27 September 2026
Following an acclaimed festival run and successful theatrical releases in Egypt and France, Tarzan and Arab Nasser’s Cannes-winning dramedy ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA is set for a wide theatrical release across Amman, Jordan, starting October 1st, with screenings at Rainbow, Prime at Abdali Mall, Taj at Taj Mall, and Grand at City Mall.
Set in 2007 Gaza, the film explores the gripping story of Yahya, a young student who forges a friendship with Osama, a charismatic restaurant owner with a big heart. Together, they begin peddling drugs while delivering falafel sandwiches, but they are soon forced to grapple with a corrupt cop and his oversized ego.
Previously, the film world premiered at the 78th Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard section, where it won the Best Director Award. Since then, it has toured over 30 international festivals across more than 20 countries, including Warsaw, Thessaloniki, São Paulo, Rome, and Toronto, where it opened the Toronto Palestine Film Festival, and Cairo, where it earned Best Director, Best Actor for Majd Eid, and Best Arab Feature Film.
Throughout its international festival journey, the film has drawn strong critical acclaim with critics highlighting its intimate portrait of life in Gaza and its wider resonance. Jordan Mintzer of The Hollywood Reporter described the film as “small-scale yet broad in its implications,” noting that, particularly in light of what has happened since October 7, it “touchingly portrays characters doing their best in a place that grants them few options and even fewer opportunities.” Meanwhile, William Mullally of The National hailed ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA as “a powerful ode to Palestinian resilience.
An international co-production between France, Palestine, Germany, and Portugal with Qatar and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the film boasts a stellar cast that includes Nader Abd Alhay, who is known for his role as Sami in FARAH, which is streaming now on Netflix; Ramzi Maqdisi (GHOST HUNTING, awarded Best Documentary at the Berlinale), Majd Eid (Cannes Winning title HOLY SPIDER); DOP Christophe Graillot (RIDE ABOVE) and editor Sophie Reine, who won the Best Editing Award at the César Awards for her work in THE FIRST DAY OF THE REST OF YOUR LIFE.
MAD Distribution manages the film’s distribution and sales across the Arab world, The Party Film Sales oversees international sales, while Dulac Distribution handles the French distribution rights.
Directed by the Nasser Brothers from a screenplay co-written with Amer Nasser and Marie Legrand, ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA is produced by Rani Massalha and Marie Legrand from Les Films du Tambour and Muriel Merlin of Lyly Productions.
Additionally, the film was co-produced with Rise Studios (Amanda Turnbull and Ziad Srouji), Made in Palestine Project (Rashid Abdelhamid), Red Balloon Film (Dorothe Benemeier), Riva Filmproduktion (Mickael Eckelt and Lena Zimmerhackel), Ukbar Filmes (Pandora Da Cunha Telles and Pablo Iraola), and executive produced by Jordan Pioneers Multi Media & Slate Films Services (Khaled Haddad) in association with A. A. Films (Ahmed Amer), Cocoon Films (Sawsan Asfari), Radio e Televisao De Portugal, and Kometa (Edyta Janczak-Hiriart).
Twin brothers Tarzan and Arab Nasser were born in Gaza in 1988 and started their filmmaking careers with their Cannes-selected short CONDOM LEAD before making their first feature film, DÉGRADÉ, which premiered in the 68th Cannes’ Critics’ Week. Their second feature, GAZA MON AMOUR, premiered in the Orrizonti Section of the 77th Venice International Film Festival and was Palestine’s submission to the 93rd Academy Awards.
Set in 2007 Gaza, the film explores the gripping story of Yahya, a young student who forges a friendship with Osama, a charismatic restaurant owner with a big heart. Together, they begin peddling drugs while delivering falafel sandwiches, but they are soon forced to grapple with a corrupt cop and his oversized ego.
Previously, the film world premiered at the 78th Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard section, where it won the Best Director Award. Since then, it has toured over 30 international festivals across more than 20 countries, including Warsaw, Thessaloniki, São Paulo, Rome, and Toronto, where it opened the Toronto Palestine Film Festival, and Cairo, where it earned Best Director, Best Actor for Majd Eid, and Best Arab Feature Film.
Throughout its international festival journey, the film has drawn strong critical acclaim with critics highlighting its intimate portrait of life in Gaza and its wider resonance. Jordan Mintzer of The Hollywood Reporter described the film as “small-scale yet broad in its implications,” noting that, particularly in light of what has happened since October 7, it “touchingly portrays characters doing their best in a place that grants them few options and even fewer opportunities.” Meanwhile, William Mullally of The National hailed ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA as “a powerful ode to Palestinian resilience.
An international co-production between France, Palestine, Germany, and Portugal with Qatar and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the film boasts a stellar cast that includes Nader Abd Alhay, who is known for his role as Sami in FARAH, which is streaming now on Netflix; Ramzi Maqdisi (GHOST HUNTING, awarded Best Documentary at the Berlinale), Majd Eid (Cannes Winning title HOLY SPIDER); DOP Christophe Graillot (RIDE ABOVE) and editor Sophie Reine, who won the Best Editing Award at the César Awards for her work in THE FIRST DAY OF THE REST OF YOUR LIFE.
MAD Distribution manages the film’s distribution and sales across the Arab world, The Party Film Sales oversees international sales, while Dulac Distribution handles the French distribution rights.
Directed by the Nasser Brothers from a screenplay co-written with Amer Nasser and Marie Legrand, ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA is produced by Rani Massalha and Marie Legrand from Les Films du Tambour and Muriel Merlin of Lyly Productions.
Additionally, the film was co-produced with Rise Studios (Amanda Turnbull and Ziad Srouji), Made in Palestine Project (Rashid Abdelhamid), Red Balloon Film (Dorothe Benemeier), Riva Filmproduktion (Mickael Eckelt and Lena Zimmerhackel), Ukbar Filmes (Pandora Da Cunha Telles and Pablo Iraola), and executive produced by Jordan Pioneers Multi Media & Slate Films Services (Khaled Haddad) in association with A. A. Films (Ahmed Amer), Cocoon Films (Sawsan Asfari), Radio e Televisao De Portugal, and Kometa (Edyta Janczak-Hiriart).
Twin brothers Tarzan and Arab Nasser were born in Gaza in 1988 and started their filmmaking careers with their Cannes-selected short CONDOM LEAD before making their first feature film, DÉGRADÉ, which premiered in the 68th Cannes’ Critics’ Week. Their second feature, GAZA MON AMOUR, premiered in the Orrizonti Section of the 77th Venice International Film Festival and was Palestine’s submission to the 93rd Academy Awards.
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