Screen actor Yahya (Nader Abd Alhay) is working on a “Gaza action movie” when he is greeted by Abou Sami (Ramzi Maqdisi), a police officer who murdered his friend Osama (Majd Eid). Inspired by the person he is playing, Yahya invites the cop to take part in a shootout. Directed in a non-linear style, the film shows how the two got to this precarious moment in time.
Once Upon a Time in Gaza bears many of the hallmarks typically found in a Quentin Tarantino film, which might explain why the title bears a similar name to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019). That’s no bad thing, considering how often the American writer leans on his influences, which is why Arab & Tarzan Nasser’s work will please audiences who enjoy B-features. It’s not too much of a stretch to call this a Middle Eastern Tarantino, as it follows an unconventional timeline that comments on the state of cinema, and the way it glorifies violence.
Yahya is plucked from the streets due to the fact that he resembles a Palestinian war hero. Keen to leave Gaza and Israeli attacks, Yahya’s decision to star in a film perplexes people who suggest he should keep a low profile. The action movie is low budget: extras carry genuine machine guns to cut down on digital effects, which comes to haunt the director when one of the actors is shot in the head.
In one tidy shot, the Nasser’s make it clear where they stand on gun control on movie sets, for the safety of the people involved. The script,Yahya discovers, is based on a brave military hero with Allah on his side. “We must fight the zionist occupiers”, his character demands, and the more often he repeats his lines, the more confident he becomes. Indeed, his self esteem rises to the point where he can face crooked policeman Abou Sami in a duel.
Yahya reflects on the first time he met Osama in a taxi, a driver bustling with charm and energy. Eid is simply infectious as Osama, bringing a parental style energy to the film, even enjoying some “dad moves” when he jives to a pop song in his spare time. Undoubtedly energetic, Osama’s decision to sell painkillers illegally brought him to the attention of Abou Sami, ending in his untimely demise.
As sacrificial lambs go, Osama makes a memorable one, given his boisterous nature. Warning the local police not to chase him, he is nevertheless concerned by the conflict outside his window. Regardless of proximity, people are unable to visit their families for fear of bombs. Chillingly, Once Upon a Time in Gaza opens with an interview Donald Trump gave where he suggested that Gaza was a suitable location for property expansion.
The triumvirate of characters – Yahya, Osama and Abou Sami – are endearing in their own ways. One plays a villain in his job (Abou Sami), another a hero onscreen (Yahya), but Osama is brave enough to take a bullet for his convictions. The directors have a clear point: for all the postures males like to boast about, only a handful have the guts to die by the sword.
Jokes are made about this new industry: “Gazawood, not Hollywood”. The aim of the fictitious movie being shot isn’t merely to inspire resistance fighters, but to provide home video entertainment at this dark point in history for the local citizens. Cheerfully, the credits roll with the promise “It will end”, prophesising a time when the Gaza genocide comes to a close. And with any luck, the further death toll won’t be too vast.
Once Upon a Time in Gaza premiered in the 78th Festival de Cannes, when this piece was originally written. lso showing at the Sarajevo Film Festival.
