The film is a joint production between Palestine, Italy and France.
Palestinian filmmaker Maha Haj’s short film Upshot premiered at the 77th Locarno Film Festival, competing in the Pardi di Domani – Corti d’Autore Competition. The film won the Pardino d’Oro Swiss Life for Best Auteur Short Film Award and the Junior Jury Award for Best Auteur Short Film at the festival’s closing ceremony, with Haj personally receiving the honours.
The film garnered widespread acclaim from both audiences and critics. Samuel Lembo of Sinistra.ch described Upshot as “a punch to the gut and a strong blow to the heart,” calling it “a roar for Palestine at Locarno.” Film critic Mohamed Reda, writing for The Middle East Newspaper, praised the film as “one of the best films [he’s] seen this year,” likening its acting to “a harmonious musical duet” and commending the film’s consistent pacing and fluid rhythm.
Discussing the theme of her film, Haj remarked: “Upshot is both a lamentation and a testament to the indomitable power of the human spirit.” She explained that the film, set in the future, explores the deep scars left by decades of conflict in Palestine, presenting a narrative that transcends time and place to reflect on irreparable loss.
Upshot is the latest work from Maha Haj, who previously won the Best Screenplay Prize in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival for her feature film Mediterranean Fever.
Upshot is set against the backdrop of Gaza’s enduring struggles and stars acclaimed actors Mohammed Bakri, Areen Omari and Amer Hlehel. The film was shot by cinematographer Augustin Bonnet, edited by Veronique Lange and features production design by Saher Dwairy.
The story follows Suleiman and Lubna, a couple who retreat to an isolated farm in an attempt to cope with profound loss. They create a parallel reality free from their pain, but when a journalist disrupts their sanctuary with harsh truths, the fragile illusion they’ve built begins to unravel.
Upshot is a collaborative production between Palestine, Italy and France, produced by Ramallah-based August Films with Hanna Atallah and Ronza Kamel. The film, along with Haj’s upcoming project Thank You for Banking with Us, is being distributed worldwide by MAD World, with MAD Distribution handling distribution in Arabic-speaking territories.
Maha Haj, who has a diverse background in English and Arabic literature, graduated from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She began her career as an artistic designer on notable productions such as Ziad Douairi’s The Attack and Rafael Natjari’s On the Hill. She made her directorial debut in 2009 with the short film Oranges, followed by the documentary Behind These Walls in 2010.
