Article by Sveva Keiko Abbatantuono

Translation by Carlotta Anna Antonacci

The death of a brother, son, or friend is one of the worst tragedies a human being can experience. But how much time is left for individual mourning when an entire country is falling apart under the siege of settlers?  

Yacoub’s life means nothing, but Nathaniel’s can redeem 1,078: the first, Palestinian, opposes the occupation of his country and is the victim of unlawful eviction and repeated violence by the enemy army; the second, on the other hand, is fortunate enough to possess both Israeli and American citizenship.

The plot revolves around Basem, a Palestinian teacher hired at a village school, an activist in the uprising and the father of a now-broken family. His life is a love letter to his students and his homeland, his actions a sign of his people’s resistance. His love for his homeland, even though steeped in profound suffering, is the beacon that guides him through the darkness of a tragic present.

Director Farah Nabulsi draws on the Middle Eastern tradition of road trips to portray a work deeply rooted in the territory, an integral part of her artistic experience and the true protagonist of the film, whose beauty marks the long sequences that accompany the characters’ experiences. The Teacher shakes the audience at the 43rd Torino Film Festival with its portrayal of grief in a collective context overwhelmed by hatred and bloodshed. Its distinctive authorial style exudes a heart-breaking truth: it is Palestine itself that teaches about life, a country martyr of an unequal armed conflict in which death spares no one. 

Article published in “la Repubblica” online on November 23 2025.