If Birds Believed in God

Overview

The story follows a day in the life of Ismail, a Palestinian photographer whose American upbringing was shaped by his grandfather’s displacement during the 1948 Palestine Nakba. When Ismail’s mother gifts him his grandfather’s keffiyeh—a traditional Palestinian scarf—it triggers an internal struggle between shame and pride in his cultural identity, all unfolding against the ominous backdrop of rising violence against Palestinians.

Directed by Samer Saifan

Top cast

Adam Budron

Ismail

Nasser Faris

Muhammad

Veracity Butcher

Leila

J

Jade Ziane

Khalid

L

Leyla Modirzadeh

Farha

E

Eyas Elkhateeb

Young Boy

Ron Fallica

Interviewer

Martin Pfefferkorn

Man on Street

Details