The film All That’s Left of You, which tells the story of a Palestinian family against the backdrop of history and first premiered at Sundance, was accompanied in Karlovy Vary by a large delegation of its creators. The post-screening discussion revealed just how powerful and at times raw the emotions surrounding the Palestinian narrative can be.
The film received an outpouring of praise from the audience, including one viewer who said: “I’ve been coming here for 28 years, and this is the best film I’ve seen here.” That statement opened the door to a broader discussion about the historical oppression and stereotyping of Palestinians, particularly since 1948, which have been ignored in both public discourse and school textbooks. According to them, the purpose of the film is to challenge those dominant narratives and encourage a more critical and compassionate understanding of history.
“If the world truly understood the broader context, the events that have unfolded continuously over the past 77 years might never have happened,” said one of the actors. The director then explained her personal motivation for shooting the film: “It’s a collection of stories I heard growing up from family, neighbours, and friends. I was raised Palestinian in a small town in Ohio, and I was shocked that none of my classmates knew anything about the history of 1948. My father was a political refugee. I remember the humiliation he experienced at border crossings. With this film, I wanted to show the love and humanity that exist within the Palestinian community.”
The production faced numerous challenges. Originally intended to be filmed in Palestine, the project was forced to relocate after the events of 7 October 2023. Most of the shoot took place in Cyprus, Greece, and Jordan, though the crew did manage to discreetly include a few authentic shots from Palestine. Authenticity remained a top priority for the director.
Despite the hurdles, the filmmakers described the experience of making the film as a gift, one that gave them focus and hope amid personal and collective pain. “I believe in nonviolence, but I’m also a freedom fighter. We don’t want weapons. We just want the world to stop accusing us of terrorism,” said one of the actors with emotion.
