Palestine 36 is a dramatisation of the Arab Revolt in the late 1930s. (A revolt against the British, but mainly because the British were arming Jewish settlers.) The film is clearly attributing to the British some of the tactics taken up sinceby Israeli forces, including detention camps and reprisals against civilians who may or may not know where rebels or weapons are. Although the main thrust is the rival Muslim groups (some accused of being too accommodating to Zionists) there's quite a bit about Christian Arabs, including rebel flags that bear a cross.
Captain Orde Wingate (Robert Aramayo) was a Christian Zionist with a clear contempt for the rural "fellaheen" (peasant farmer) population, many already displaced from land they had farmed for centuries. The film if anything minimises his abhorrent behaviour.
There's no direct portrayal of the Zionist side - it's seen through the impossible position of the British, trying to fulfil the Balfour Declaration to provide a Jewish homeland but failing miserably to fulfil its obligation to protect rights of the existing non-Jewish communities. The film is Palestine’s entry for next year’s Best International Feature Film Oscar. Annoyingly for the Israeli government, Israel’s entry, “The Sea”, is also sympathetic to the Palestinian cause.
Captain Orde Wingate (Robert Aramayo) was a Christian Zionist with a clear contempt for the rural "fellaheen" (peasant farmer) population, many already displaced from land they had farmed for centuries. The film if anything minimises his abhorrent behaviour.
There's no direct portrayal of the Zionist side - it's seen through the impossible position of the British, trying to fulfil the Balfour Declaration to provide a Jewish homeland but failing miserably to fulfil its obligation to protect rights of the existing non-Jewish communities. The film is Palestine’s entry for next year’s Best International Feature Film Oscar. Annoyingly for the Israeli government, Israel’s entry, “The Sea”, is also sympathetic to the Palestinian cause.
