All That's Left of You (2025)
Over the last number of years, the social awareness of the conflict in the West Bank between the Palestinian people and Israeli settlers and forces has grown mainstream with many condeming Israel's genocide of Palestine, which according to the United Nations Relief Agency has led to over 100 people being killed each day with an overall death toll of 64,000 Palestinians since 2023 according to the Gaza’s Health Ministry in September, and calling for action to be taken. This movement is the newest in a lineage of protests and anger towards the fighting and violence between the two sides, which dates back to 1948. This history, almost 80 years of conflict, remains largely unseen and unknown. While documentary features like Abby Martin's Gaza Fights for Freedom have attempted to spread awareness of the historical roots of this violence and share the largely unspoken and unrepresented side of the Palestinian people, few narrative features have broken through that chronicle this generational history of oppression, suffering, and death. With the rise of awareness and activism surrounding the conflict, this is starting to change, with features like Cherien Dabis' All That's Left of You breaking out on a stage rarely seen before.
Screening as part of AFI Fest 2025, All That's Left of You chronicles the life of a family across multiple generations, spanning from 1948, when the family's patriarch, Salim, was a young boy growing up in Jaffa, to 2022. Over these 74 years, Salim, played as an adult by Saleh Bakri, experiences displacement and continual trauma as the violence of the conflict escalates, stripping Salim and his family of their security and safety as things escalate to indescribable tragedy. The film is a monumental cinematic triumph, building on an emotionally raw base to craft a feature that is educational, empathetic, and incredibly complex and nuanced in the pain it projects.
Framing the narrative around the generational trauma of Salim's family is a perfect decision. The film opens in 1988 as Salim's teenage son, Noor (Muhammad Abed Elrahman), goes about his day with his friends, navigating the city and Israeli occupation. Noor joins a protest against the Occupation of the West Bank, and as he is getting into a car, he gets shot in the head. The film then cuts to Noor's mother, breaking the fourth wall and speaking directly to the camera. She acknowledges that audiences across the globe watching likely do not know much about the Palestinian struggle or history, and offers that if one wants to understand the actions of the present, they must also understand the actions of the past.
The anger and emotion of the present did not originate recently; it is generations of trauma. By exposing the audience to a rich and personal narrative that spans the last 74 years, the film gives the audience at home a greater understanding and empathy for just how systematic and deep this conflict goes. The explicit warning that the events of the film are based on historical events adds a sense of gravitas and terror. Even if the film is a narrative feature, the emotion and heartbreak on screen are a reality being projected.
Make no mistake, however, that All That's Left of You is anything but a simple feature. The perspectives shared are not solely defined by violence, sadness, and anger. Instead, All That's Left of You is largely a film about humanity and family. As the people of Palestine are forced to leave their homes and face horrible living conditions under occupation, facing daily threats of bloodshed and abuse, the support and love of family and community still prove powerful and uplifting. The film, however, also puts these two emotions into conversation with each other. It questions how one can expect Palestinians to show humanity and grace to the force that has robbed them of so much. It pushes its characters into traumatically poetic situations where they are tested, and their expected humanity is poked.
Through this, the film builds a text that puts the audience into the shoes of those going through the unimaginable. The situations are almost absurd at times, with audiences having to reckon with this lived reality. The questions of morality, action, and response go beyond the scope of what anyone could imagine, and the film unweaves these complex moments with grace and honesty, not giving easy answers and finding a way to push forward. The voice within the film and the screenplay, also from director and lead actor Cherien Dabis, is incredibly focused and clear as it gets through its 145-minute runtime, which never drags. It is obvious that Dabis has crafted a specific and effective vision for the film, and her execution is truly flawless.
This vision is also enriched by the stellar performances on screen. The raw and poignant emotion of both Dabis and Bakri is remarkable, with their work standing as perfectly haunting. There is so much emotion that rests within them, bursting to get out and release, yet they expertly hold it in, delivering some of the most powerful work of the entire year. In supporting roles lie a wide and rich cast of equally strong performances, giving the film texture and personality, whether that originates in sadness towards a lost past or motivation to fight for a better tomorrow.
While it is obvious that the topic and message of All That's Left of You is crucial for the modern moment, both in educating about Palestinian history and building understanding for the emotions and trauma that have developed over decades of abuse, it cannot be overstated just how impressive the film is in its storytelling ability and power. The film is ambitious both in scope and weight, but handles itself perfectly and builds a clean and effective angle to explore this history and highlight this pain. All That's Left of You is easily one of the best films of the year, and should be required watching for all.
Screening as part of AFI Fest 2025, All That's Left of You chronicles the life of a family across multiple generations, spanning from 1948, when the family's patriarch, Salim, was a young boy growing up in Jaffa, to 2022. Over these 74 years, Salim, played as an adult by Saleh Bakri, experiences displacement and continual trauma as the violence of the conflict escalates, stripping Salim and his family of their security and safety as things escalate to indescribable tragedy. The film is a monumental cinematic triumph, building on an emotionally raw base to craft a feature that is educational, empathetic, and incredibly complex and nuanced in the pain it projects.
Framing the narrative around the generational trauma of Salim's family is a perfect decision. The film opens in 1988 as Salim's teenage son, Noor (Muhammad Abed Elrahman), goes about his day with his friends, navigating the city and Israeli occupation. Noor joins a protest against the Occupation of the West Bank, and as he is getting into a car, he gets shot in the head. The film then cuts to Noor's mother, breaking the fourth wall and speaking directly to the camera. She acknowledges that audiences across the globe watching likely do not know much about the Palestinian struggle or history, and offers that if one wants to understand the actions of the present, they must also understand the actions of the past.
The anger and emotion of the present did not originate recently; it is generations of trauma. By exposing the audience to a rich and personal narrative that spans the last 74 years, the film gives the audience at home a greater understanding and empathy for just how systematic and deep this conflict goes. The explicit warning that the events of the film are based on historical events adds a sense of gravitas and terror. Even if the film is a narrative feature, the emotion and heartbreak on screen are a reality being projected.
Make no mistake, however, that All That's Left of You is anything but a simple feature. The perspectives shared are not solely defined by violence, sadness, and anger. Instead, All That's Left of You is largely a film about humanity and family. As the people of Palestine are forced to leave their homes and face horrible living conditions under occupation, facing daily threats of bloodshed and abuse, the support and love of family and community still prove powerful and uplifting. The film, however, also puts these two emotions into conversation with each other. It questions how one can expect Palestinians to show humanity and grace to the force that has robbed them of so much. It pushes its characters into traumatically poetic situations where they are tested, and their expected humanity is poked.
Through this, the film builds a text that puts the audience into the shoes of those going through the unimaginable. The situations are almost absurd at times, with audiences having to reckon with this lived reality. The questions of morality, action, and response go beyond the scope of what anyone could imagine, and the film unweaves these complex moments with grace and honesty, not giving easy answers and finding a way to push forward. The voice within the film and the screenplay, also from director and lead actor Cherien Dabis, is incredibly focused and clear as it gets through its 145-minute runtime, which never drags. It is obvious that Dabis has crafted a specific and effective vision for the film, and her execution is truly flawless.
This vision is also enriched by the stellar performances on screen. The raw and poignant emotion of both Dabis and Bakri is remarkable, with their work standing as perfectly haunting. There is so much emotion that rests within them, bursting to get out and release, yet they expertly hold it in, delivering some of the most powerful work of the entire year. In supporting roles lie a wide and rich cast of equally strong performances, giving the film texture and personality, whether that originates in sadness towards a lost past or motivation to fight for a better tomorrow.
While it is obvious that the topic and message of All That's Left of You is crucial for the modern moment, both in educating about Palestinian history and building understanding for the emotions and trauma that have developed over decades of abuse, it cannot be overstated just how impressive the film is in its storytelling ability and power. The film is ambitious both in scope and weight, but handles itself perfectly and builds a clean and effective angle to explore this history and highlight this pain. All That's Left of You is easily one of the best films of the year, and should be required watching for all.