Palestine 36: A Conversation with Annemarie Jacir

In this episode of This Is Palestine, host Diana Buttu speaks with Palestinian writer and director Annemarie Jacir about her Academy Award shortlisted film, Palestine 36. The historical drama is set during the Great Palestinian Revolt against British colonial rule. At the heart of the film is Al-Basma, a fictional village inspired by the Palestinian villages of Lifta and Al-Bassa, which were destroyed and whose Palestinian residents were expelled by Zionist militant forces. Described as “epic” and a “masterpiece”, Palestine 36 weaves personal stories with the political realities of the era. Jacir reflects on the obstacles of bringing the film to life, the depth and complexity of its characters, and the importance of Palestinian cinema in confronting erasure and telling our history on our own terms. The film is Palestine’s official submission to the 98th Academy Awards for Best International Film. Thank you for tuning into This is Palestine, the official podcast of The IMEU! For more stories and resources, visit us at imeu.org. Stay connected with us:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theimeu/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/theIMEU Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theIMEU/ For more insights, follow our host, Diana Buttu, on:  Twitter: https://twitter.com/dianabuttu     

In this episode of This Is Palestine, we speak with renowned Palestinian artist Sliman Mansour to explore his childhood and artistic journey, shaped by pivotal moments in the Palestinian struggle and their influence on the art movement. From playing with clay alongside his grandmother for making beehives, to transforming clay into his symbolic works of art. From painting under Israeli military censorship to using materials from the land as symbols of identity, Mansour reflects on decades of cultural struggle, collective creation, resilience and belonging. As Israel’s ongoing attacks target Palestinian life and culture, he offers a powerful meditation on why art matters, how it preserves identity, and what it means to create in the face of erasure. The interview was originally conducted in Arabic and translated into English accordingly. Thank you for tuning into This is Palestine, the official podcast of The IMEU! For more stories and resources, visit us at imeu.org. Stay connected with us:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theimeu/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/theIMEU Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theIMEU/ For more insights, follow our host, Diana Buttu, on:  Twitter: https://twitter.com/dianabuttu     

The Palestinian village of Sebastia, a living place where history, memory, and daily life are deeply intertwined. In this episode of This is Palestine, Diana Buttu speaks with Zaid Azhari, a cultural heritage researcher from Sebastia and a member of the Save Sebastia campaign, about Israel’s plans to seize large parts of the town’s archaeological heart under the pretext of “heritage development.” Zaid explains how archaeology is being used to deprive Palestinians of their land, livelihoods, and identity, and why protecting Sebastia means protecting a living community, not just ancient ruins. Thank you for tuning into This is Palestine, the official podcast of The IMEU! For more stories and resources, visit us at imeu.org. Stay connected with us:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theimeu/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/theIMEU Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theIMEU/ For more insights, follow our host, Diana Buttu, on:  Twitter: https://twitter.com/dianabuttu     

In this episode of “This is Palestine”, Adnan Barq, an outspoken Palestinian digital creator from Jerusalem, tells us “he thrives in chaos.” Barq unpacks how humor, sarcasm, and spontaneous storytelling help him navigate Israeli military checkpoints, censorship, and the daily absurdities of life under Israeli occupation. Barq explains how he uses sarcasm and dark humor to depict Israel’s oppression of Palestinian life, using his unique voice to share his absurd realities with the world. Thank you for tuning into This is Palestine, the official podcast of The IMEU! For more stories and resources, visit us at imeu.org. Stay connected with us:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theimeu/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/theIMEU Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theIMEU/ For more insights, follow our host, Diana Buttu, on:  Twitter: https://twitter.com/dianabuttu     

Two years into Israel’s relentless bombardment of Gaza, we listen closely to Yaqeen Baker, a mother of two little daughters, Salwa (5) and Nusaiba (2). She shares what it means to be a mother under constant Israeli fire; to love, to fear, and to hope amid the destruction. We also hear the voice of little Salwa, who gives us a glimpse into her small, innocent world that the genocide has taken away. The interview was originally recorded in Arabic and translated into English accordingly. Thank you for tuning into This is Palestine, the official podcast of The IMEU! For more stories and resources, visit us at imeu.org. Stay connected with us:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theimeu/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/theIMEU Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theIMEU/ For more insights, follow our host, Diana Buttu, on:  Twitter: https://twitter.com/dianabuttu     

While the world witnessed Israel’s genocide in Gaza, another war has been unfolding inside Israeli prisons. Thousands of Palestinian prisoners, including women and hundreds of children, are held under brutal conditions, many without charge or trial. In this episode, we speak with Palestinian lawyer Nadia Daqqa, one of the first attorneys to visit Palestinians abducted from Gaza after long months of enforced disappearance. Nadia shares chilling testimonies of starvation, torture, and medical neglect. She also unpacks Israel’s policies that reinforce the illegal mass detention of Palestinians, revealing another war taking place quietly behind prison bars. Thank you for tuning into This is Palestine, the official podcast of The IMEU! For more stories and resources, visit us at imeu.org. Stay connected with us:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theimeu/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/theIMEU Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theIMEU/ For more insights, follow our host, Diana Buttu, on:  Twitter: https://twitter.com/dianabuttu     

Two years into Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza, the destruction has reached unimaginable levels. Starvation, disease, and systematic attacks on hospitals have turned survival itself into resistance. In this episode, we speak with Dr. Tarek Loubani, a Palestinian Canadian emergency physician who has spent months on the ground in Gaza. He describes Israel’s illegal attacks on Gaza’s healthcare system and deliberate targeting of aid distribution sites he calls “death traps.” We hear from Dr. Loubani, who describes how Palestinians have had to create makeshift hospitals and transform emergency medicine and the toll that this has taken on doctors, nurses and patients alike. Thank you for tuning into This is Palestine, the official podcast of The IMEU! For more stories and resources, visit us at imeu.org. Stay connected with us:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theimeu/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/theIMEU Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theIMEU/ For more insights, follow our host, Diana Buttu, on:  Twitter: https://twitter.com/dianabuttu     

Sayfollah, a 20-year-old Palestinian-American from Florida, came to Palestine to visit his family, not knowing it would be his last trip home. On July 11, 2025, he was brutally beaten to death by Israeli settlers in the town of Sinjil, near Ramallah. This attack came amid a sharp escalation of settler violence across the West Bank. In this episode, we speak with Bahaa Fuqaha, the deputy chair of Sinjil municipality, about a town now under siege, and hear the heartbreaking account from Kamel, Sayfollah’s father, as he recounts the day his son was killed. Thank you for tuning into This is Palestine, the official podcast of The IMEU! For more stories and resources, visit us at imeu.org. Stay connected with us:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theimeu/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/theIMEU Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theIMEU/ For more insights, follow our host, Diana Buttu, on:  Twitter: https://twitter.com/dianabuttu     

Following their moral compass, student activists at Columbia demanded an end to the genocide in Gaza and called for a ceasefire. The response? Intimidation, suspensions, wrongful arrests, and, in Mahmoud’s case, being illegally detained by ICE and threats of deportation. How and why did the current student movement begin? What were the consequences of speaking out on Palestine? And what does the future hold for student activism and for Mahmoud himself? In this powerful conversation, Columbia graduate student and activist Mahmoud Khalil shares the full story. Thank you for tuning into This is Palestine, the official podcast of The IMEU! For more stories and resources, visit us at imeu.org. Stay connected with us:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theimeu/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/theIMEU Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theIMEU/ For more insights, follow our host, Diana Buttu, on:  Twitter: https://twitter.com/dianabuttu     

This episode uncovers a harsh and overlooked reality: Israel’s unequal protection and systemic discrimination against Palestinian citizens of Israel, which was particularly evident during Israel and Iran’s 12-day war, provoked by an Israeli attack on Iran. For nearly two weeks, most Israelis benefited from widespread access to shelters and rapid emergency response systems. Palestinian citizens of Israel, however, had unequal access to safe spaces due to Israel’s deliberate failure to equip them with as many shelters as Jewish Israelis. Palestinians with Israeli citizenship also faced rampant discrimination at shelters throughout Israel. We explore the impact of Israel’s decades-long institutional racism, including how Israeli systems, like the Iron Dome, often exclude areas where Palestinian citizens of Israel live. Join us for a powerful look at what it means for Palestinians to live as second-class citizens of Israel. Thank you for tuning into This is Palestine, the official podcast of The IMEU! For more stories and resources, visit us at imeu.org. Stay connected with us:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theimeu/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/theIMEU Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theIMEU/ For more insights, follow our host, Diana Buttu, on:  Twitter: https://twitter.com/dianabuttu