By Taghreed Saadeh
Shireen Daibes’ film “All That’s Left of You” is an extraordinary artistic work that revives the memory of the Nakba and the subsequent displacement, struggle, and suffering of the Palestinian people, through a story spanning three generations of an educated and resilient Palestinian family.
The film, running for two hours and twenty-five minutes, chronicles the journey of Palestinians from Jaffa to refugee camps in Nablus, and finally to the diaspora in Canada, in a deeply human and visually compelling narrative that transcends individual storytelling to craft a living Palestinian national memory.
In her first acting role, Daibes embodies – Hanan, a refugee camp mother who perseveres through hardship, continuing her struggle after the martyrdom of her son Noor (Mohammad Abdul Rahman), a young man who was shot by the occupation forces during the First Intifada in 1988. Noor is also the child who witnessed his father Salim (Saleh Bakri) being humiliated by Israeli forces near the camp, a moment that became a turning point in his life and epitomizes the daily oppression Palestinians endured under occupation.
The grandfather, Sharif (portrayed by Adam Bakri in youth and Mohammad Bakri in old age) both actors giving an exceptional performances, was forced in 1948 to leave his home and the orange grove he inherited from his ancestors in Jaffa, at the moment of Israel’s establishment, beginning the generational journey of displacement. The grandfather carries much of the past, the grandson connects with him in key scenes to illustrate the role of elders in transmitting Palestinian history, while Salim, as both father and son, navigates the harsh realities, forbidding his child from playing with a toy gun, a clear signal of danger and tension.
The film moves across four pivotal time periods, the Nakba of 1948, 1978, the 1988 Intifada, and finally 2022, where Hanan recounts her ordeal in her final place of refuge, Canada, showing that Palestinian memory persists across space and time, and that exile cannot erase attachment to the homeland Palestine.
The film adeptly balances nostalgia, pain, and hope, highlighting the Palestinian woman as a symbol of resilience and life. Hanan is the refugee camp mother who patiently raised her children and cared for her elderly father in law, while tending to small plants inside the home, a daily Palestinian act symbolizing the continuity of life amid hardship.
The film reaches its emotional climax in the organ donation scene, where Hanan chooses to give life to the people responsible for her son’s death, the same enemy occupying her land. This profound paradox turns the act into a difficult existential question, can life be given to someone who took it from us?
In a later emotional scene, Hanan meets years afterward with a young Jewish man who received one of her son’s organs. He confirms that he refused to join the Israeli army. This moment carries deep significance, illustrating how her sacrifice influenced the young man, who might have otherwise participated in the killing of Palestinians, but through her act, developed humanity and rejection of violence.
Technically, cinematographer Christopher Aoun delivers a poetic visual language that balances realism and nostalgia, with his creativity and mastery evident throughout many scenes. The screenplay, written with care by Shireen Daibes, reflects profound political and human awareness. The film is deeply moving, as if Daibes is rewriting the Palestinian story again, capturing every detail of suffering and resilience. The scenes are not just historical accounts but living expressions of grief, longing, and loss, making the film not merely cinematic work, but a vital Palestinian human and national document worthy of viewing and acclaim.
Joining the project as executive producers are the internationally renowned actors and supporters of Palestinian rights, Javier Bardem and Mark Ruffalo, reflecting the film’s global backing, confirming its high production value, and highlighting international attention to the Palestinian story and its narrative of endurance. The involvement of such high-profile names gives the film additional momentum toward international recognition and awards festival consideration.
Despite criticism from certain Jewish voices, as is often the case for any brave Palestinian film, the work is, in fact, complete in every aspect, firmly Palestinian in identity, emotion, and consciousness, and arguably well-deserving of a path to the Oscars, representing Jordan.
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