‘All That’s Left Of You’: Sundance Review

Dir/scr: Cherien Dabis. Germany/Cyprus. 2025. 145mins

That you cannot understand the present without knowing the past is the guiding philosophy of Cherien Dabis’ ambitious family saga All That’s Left Of You. Dabis illuminates decades of Palestinian history through the story of a single family marked by exile, loss and trauma. Lacking nuance in its early stages, it matures into a more considered, moving tale that effectively blends the personal and the political. The timely subject matter and emotional impact should tempt international arthouse distributors following its Sundance Premieres bow.

Illuminates decades of Palestinian history through the story of a single family

Palestinian-American Dabis previously directed Amreeka (2009) and May In The Summer (2013) and has worked extensively in American television (Empire, The Sinner, Ozark etc), receiving an Emmy nomination for directing an episode of Only Murders In The Building. That experience shows here, in her confident handling of pace, craft and an intricate narrative. Set to film in Jaffa, Dabis had to withdraw two weeks into pre-production when the October 2023 attacks happened. Shooting was moved to Cyprus, Greece and Jordan, and the result is a handsomely mounted film.

Dabis begins the family history in 1988 as teenager Noor (Muhammad Abed Elrahman) is caught up in the occupied West Bank protests against Israeli soldiers. We then see into the future as his elderly mother Hanan (played by Dabis) stares directly into the camera and tells both an unseen character and the audience that they can only comprehend Noor’s life by knowing the story of his grandfather, Sharif. The story then shifts to 1948, when the young Sharif (Adam Bakri) is surrounded by the scent of oranges from the groves in his family home at Jaffa. The creation of the State Of Israel on Palestine land sends his wife and children into exile, but Sharif remains until the Israeli authorities arrive to claim his house and occupy his land. Sharif is arrested, imprisoned and starved, fuelling his resentment of the Israelis.

In 1978, the older Sharif (Mohammad Bakri) lives with his son Salim (Saleh Bakri), Salim’s wife and their children, including his young grandson Noor (then played by Sanad Alkabareti). Television news reports on President Carter’s attempts to bring peace to the Middle East, while daily life is still a routine of humiliation and repression. Salim is drained of hope and pride, and Noor is growing into an angry young man. 

The early stages of All That’s Left Of You feel blunt and devoid of subtlety. Everyday conversations turn into heartfelt speeches and Israeli characters are only seen carrying guns, barking orders and treating the Palestinians as less than human. History constantly repeats as lives unfold at the mercy of checkpoints, curfews and arbitrary rules. Injustice snowballs down the generations.

When Dabis circles back to 1988 and reveals the fate of Noor, it becomes a more thoughtful and compelling film. Unexpected developments create a situation demanding difficult choices and the possibility that nothing in life is entirely cut and dried. What had seemed a very black and white narrative starts to find interesting shades of grey, even reaching for some sense of healing. Dabis cleverly brings everything full circle in a graceful, warmhearted finale that renders the film ever more endearing.

Within a well-chosen ensemble, Salah Alden Mai as the young Salim and Sanad Alkabaretri as the young Noor capture all the energy, cheek and vital spark of these boys. Members of the Bakri acting dynasty are also perfectly cast, with Saleh Bakri conveying the weary anguish of Salim’s struggle to transcend the shame and suffering visited upon him.