Watermlon Pictures shared the official trailer The Teacher, Farah Nabulsi’s drama set (and filmed) in the present-day West Bank in the occupied Palestinian Territories, starring Saleh Bakri (The Band’s Visit) and Imogen Poots (The Father).
Bakri plays a Palestinian school teacher struggling to reconcile his risky commitment to political resistance with his emotional support for one of his students and the chance of a new relationship with a volunteer worker played by Poots.
Also starring in the movie are Muhammad Abed El Rahman, Stanley Townsend, Paul Herzberg, Mahmoud Bakri, and Andrea Irvine
Helmed by Oscar-nominated director Farah Nabulsi (The Present), The Teacher premiered at Toronto International Film Festival, and opens in New York on April 11th, before expanding to major markets (including Los Angeles) on April 18th.
In this gripping drama, Palestinian schoolteacher Basem (Saleh Bakri) faces personal turmoil after a tragic incident involving his son. He finds solace in a deep bond with his student Adam and British social worker Lisa (Imogen Poots). Meanwhile, an American attorney and his wife push for the return of their son, an Israeli soldier held by a Palestinian resistance group, leading to tensions over a potential prisoner exchange. The intertwining stories highlight themes of empathy and conflict, culminating in a powerful narrative marked by unexpected twists.
Screendaily review described Farah Nabulsi’s feature debut as ‘ impassioned but dramatically wobbly’ writing. “Nabulsi deserves credit for tackling a thorny issue with complexity, crafting a drama with several tendrils reaching out in all different directions, illustrating how the Israeli/Palestinian dispute impacts so many in the region. But that complexity mostly results in a muddled narrative full of honourable intentions but lacking in catharsis or insight.”
In an interview with Deadline, Nabulsi said, “This is a story about characters that represent a severely marginalized and underrepresented people. And it does challenge certain stereotypes and it gives insights into the lives and struggles of those people whose voices have often been ignored, excluded or misrepresented. I want to make films that matter and have depth and meaning – not only as a filmmaker but as a human being as well and certainly as a Palestinian by heritage. It’s important for me to give a voice to those people that I am connected to, who are suffering this kind of oppression.”
Watch the official trailer for The Teacher.
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