The Teacher
Palestinian teacher tries to change lives in a society burdened by repressed hatred and generations of trauma.
The destruction of a Palestinian home by Israeli edict and the murder of a youth at the hands of an Israeli settler set the stage for even more shocks to come in writer/director Farah Nabulsi’s assured feature debut.
Saleh Bakri is Basem, an amiable educator who tries to steer the deceased boy’s younger brother Adam (Muhammad Abed Elrahman) from seeking revenge. At the same time, Basem ignores his own advice, maintaining ties with the resistance and involving himself in a hostage situation. He tries to keep his activities secret from Adam and his British girlfriend Lisa (Imogen Poots) but it becomes harder to maintain his silence when Israeli troops show up at his door.
Inspired by a real incident and set in 2014, “The Teacher” is a shattering work that feels as current as today’s headlines, and a drama made more devastating by Bakri’s soulful performance.
The film is the recipient of this year’s Dennis Davidson Spotlight Award.
Farah Nabulsi (1978) is a Palestinian-British award-winning filmmaker and human rights advocate. Born to Palestinian parents in London, Nabulsi began her career as a stockbroker. After that she ran a children-focused business for 10 years. In 2016 she founded a not-for-profit media production company Native Liberty, that aims to draw attention to the injustices the Palestinians face. She started working in the film industry as a writer and producer of short fiction films. Short film “The Present” (2020) - co-written and produced - was her directorial debut. It won multiple awards at numerous film festivals (including a BAFTA and was nominated for an Oscar). She has been a jury member at numerous festivals and a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
The Teacher (2023)