Sundance 2025: Powerful Palestinian Family Film ‘All That’s Left of You’

Sundance 2025: Powerful Palestinian Family Film ‘All That’s Left of You’

by Alex Billington
January 30, 2025

There are stories that need to be told. There are experiences that we need to understand. This is one of those films that tells a story that needs to be shown and taught and appreciated. All That’s Left of You (اللي باقي منك) is an extraordinary, powerful new film made by the Palestinian-American filmmaker Cherien Dabis, her third feature film after making Amreeka and May in the Summer years before. All That’s Left of You is a remarkable tale of a Palestinian family told across three generations as they deal with great trauma and grief under decades of oppression and occupation from Israelis. It’s a miracle this film even got made, and exists, and is premiering at a film festival like Sundance (because the Berlin Film Festival would never show this even though it really should be playing over there, too). Dabis was just about to start filming in Palestine in October 2023 and had to move to other countries to continue production. I was there at the world premiere and it was very moving evening – especially listening to Cherien speak passionately before and after the film.

All That’s Left of You is both written and directed by filmmaker Cherien Dabis, a very personal project for her inspired by her own family and relatives and friends. The film is an inter-generational epic chronicling the lives of three generations of a Palestinian family and tracing the passage of trauma to each as they deal with occupation, harassment, and threats. After a Palestinian teen confronts Israeli soldiers at a West Bank protest, his mother recounts the unfortunate series of events that led him to that fateful moment, starting with his grandfather’s forced displacement in the late 1940s. This is exactly the kind of vivid film that I would say every human being needs to watch. In order to learn, to understand, to be forever moved by. It’s an exceptionally cinematic, thrilling, emotional tale of a family – and while it is heartbreaking, and upsetting to watch, it’s an important watch that is deeply involving in its storytelling. It is consistently impressive in the way it brings audiences into this story, gives viewers a chance to get to know family members, recognize their motivations & struggles, and feel for them as they grow up and deal with oppression under apartheid.

Above all else, All That’s Left of You is humanistic and compassionate, taking its time to tell this story with great care and authenticity. It acculturately represents both Israel and Palestine, integrating the pain from both sides of this region into the story – there is no bias, as it’s built upon honesty and integrity. It’s actually similar in many ways to I’m Still Here, the Brazilian disappearance drama nominated for multiple Academy Awards this year. Both films are about families torn apart and damaged, showing how they struggle with trauma & grief across generations. And they both remind us compassion and perseverance are core tenants of good, kind-hearted people all over the world. The film is a bit glossy and showy, in a way that might feel over-the-top or melodramatic to some viewers, but this never bothered me. Once again, this is a film that I want to keep talking about and keep recommending. It is one of the defining movies about Palestine and its history. And will earn its place in cinema history as a vital, lucid story about the lives of many Palestinians.

Alex’s Sundance 2025 Rating: 8 out of 10
Follow Alex on Twitter – @firstshowing / Or Letterboxd – @firstshowing

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