Short descriptions and links to films for Palestine that are currently streaming online in the USA. All non-Netflix films are free to watch (as of 2023-12-23). Netflix films are free with a subscription.
Here are a few different ways that you can browse the films…
Browse compilations of films for Palestine
Netflix Palestinian Stories “genre” (Genre 81515124)
30 Films for Palestine and Where to Stream Them (Dustin Craun on Medium)
Films about Palestine (Palestine Solidarity Campaign) - Note: not all of these films are available for streaming.
Browse by film type
Browse all films
Browse films by type
Disclaimer: While I have done my best to categorize the movies below into groups based on genre, level of violence, and topic based on information I can find online, I have not watched all of these movies. Please do your own due diligence before watching.
Under 30 minutes
The first 7 minutes of Salt of this Sea
30 minutes to 1 hr
Suitable for young children
TV-14
The Present (Al-hadiya) - Netflix rated this TV-MA, I think it should be TV-14, but watch at your own risk.
The first 7 minutes of Salt of this Sea - The entire film Salt of this Sea is rated TV-MA, but IMO the first 7 minutes of this movie would fit into the TV-14 category, but that’s just my opinion so watch at your own risk.
Documentary
Based on a true story
Fictional
Browse all films
Films are listed in alphabetical order.
3000 Nights
2015 | Netflix | 1h 39m | TV-MA | Based on a true story
Wrongly accused, a Palestinian newlywed is incarcerated in an Israeli high-security prison and soon discovers that she’s pregnant.
Born in Gaza
2014 | Netflix| 1h 9m | TV-14 | Documentary
Filmed shortly after the Israeli aggression against Gaza in 2014, this documentary examines how violence has transformed the lives of 10 Palestinian children. The documentary contains footage from the violence, so you may want to pre-screen.
Farha
2021 | Netflix | 1h 31m | TV-14 | Based on a true story
An accounting of the original Nakba in 1948, from the perspective of a 14-year-old Palestinian girl. Zionists have tried to remove the movie from Netflix. Read more here.
Gaza Fights for Freedom
2019 | YouTube | 1h 24m | Documentary
A documentary about the historic Great March Of Return protests from 2018-2019. It tells the story of Gaza past and present, showing rare archival footage. This film is a thorough indictment of the Israeli military for war crimes, and a portrayal of Palestinians' heroic resistance.
The Great Book Robbery: Chronicles of a Cultural Destruction
2012 | YouTube | 48m | Documentary
As well as land and properties, a lesser known aspect of the Nakba is that Israel looted Palestinian homes over their cultural treasures. The The Great Book Robbery tells the story of the systematic looting in 1948 of tens of thousands of Palestinian books.
I Am From Palestine
2023 | YouTube | Free | 6m | Appropriate for young children | Animated, fictional
A short animated children’s film directed by Iman Zawahry. As Saamidah, a young Palestinian-American girl, anxiously starts her first day of school, she finds her identity in question when faced with a world map that doesn’t include her homeland.
The Land Speaks Arabic
2007 | YouTube | Free | 1h 1m | Documentary
Documents the late 19th century birth of Zionism and its repercussions for Palestinians. Brings together rarely seen footage of Palestine before 1948 juxtaposed with original source documents, eyewitness accounts, and more.
My Neighborhood
2012 | JustVision.org | 25m | Documentary | No graphic violence.
Mohammed El Kurd is an 11-year old Palestinian boy growing up in East Jerusalem. When Mohammed’s family is forced to give up part of their home to Israeli settlers, his family and other residents begin protesting the evictions, determined not to lose their homes for good. They are quickly joined by Israeli supporters who are horrified to see what is being done in their name.
Content notes: No graphic violence. I don’t think that anything about this video would be inappropriate for young children. However, children will need to be able to read fast enough to use the subtitles since there are a lot of them.
Palestine 1920: The Other Side of the Palestinian Story
2022 | YouTube | 47m | Documentary
“A land without a people, and a people without a land” is how the relationship between Palestine and the Jewish people was described by Christian writers in the 1800s. This film from Al Jazeera Arabic looks at Palestine from a different angle, showing Palestine as a thriving province of Greater Syria and the Ottoman Empire at the dawn of the 20th century. However, the political ramifications of the Balfour Declaration, San Remo Conference and British Mandate set in motion a series of events that profoundly affected this society and led to the events of 1948 and beyond.
The Present (Al-hadiya)
2020 | Facebook or Netflix | Free | 24m | Drama | No graphic violence
The Present shows the daily abuse and indignity faced by Palestinian people under the apartheid system. A man and his young daughter go shopping for a gift for his wife. Note: Netflix classifies this as TV-MA but I’m honestly not sure why as it only lists “language” as a reason for the rating. I did watch this entire film and I don’t remember hearing much (any) swearing, but swearing also doesn’t bother me so…watch with kids at your own risk. It is obviously emotionally impactful, but there is no graphic violence.
Salt of this Sea
2008 | Netflix | 1h 45m | Fiction | TV-MA
A Palestinian American woman (a citizen of the US) travels to her homeland to retrieve her grandfather’s savings, which had been frozen since the Nakba. This movie chronicles her experience traveling to her homeland for the first time, and the discrimination she faces even with the “protection” of an American passport. Read a review/reflection of the movie here. If you don’t have the time to watch the entire film, I’d highly recommend watching the first 7 minutes to see what Palestinian Americans go through trying to visit their homeland. It’s likely things have changed from 2008 when the movie was first released, but it does a good job showing a small piece of the apartheid system of Israel.
Content notes: No graphic violence. There is a scene where the main characters are stopped by the IOF and the man is forced to remove all his clothes—this is shown from the back.
Until further notice, 100% of profits from my writing will be donated to pro-Palestine causes. Accountability statements will be released once a month.
You may also be interested in…
Style guide - Notes on why I use particular terminology in my writing.