From multi-award winning, Oscar-nominated director, Farah Nabulsi comes a gripping drama marked by empathy, unexpected twists, and unceasing provocations, anchored by Saleh Bakri's power-house performance; The film was shot entirely in Palestine’s West Bank

30 January 2024 – Dubai, United Arab Emirates – The trailer for the eagerly-anticipated, award-winning ‘The Teacher’ has been released ahead of its cinematic release across the GCC on 8 February. ‘The Teacher’ tells the story of Palestinian schoolteacher Basem (Saleh Bakri) grappling with personal devastation after a tragic incident involving his son. His life takes an unexpected turn when he forms a deep connection with Adam, one of his students, while also developing an unexpected bond with British social worker Lisa (Imogen Poots). 

Simultaneously, a high-profile American attorney and his wife seek the return of their son, an Israeli soldier held captive by a Palestinian resistance group. The group’s demand for a prisoner exchange creates tensions with authorities, intensifying the search for the soldier and drawing Basem and Adam’s neighbourhood into turmoil. 

The multi-award winning, Oscar-nominated director, Farah Nabulsi weaves these disparate yet interconnected stories into a gripping drama that is marked by empathy, unexpected twists, and unceasing provocations, anchored by Saleh Bakri's power-house performance. The film was entirely shot in the West Bank, Palestine. 
 

‘The Teacher’ premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival on 9 September 2023. Variety released an exclusive clip from the film two days before its premiere, on 7 September. In October 2023, the film was longlisted for the 2023 British Independent Film Awards in three categories: Best Debut Director, Best Debut Screenwriter and Breakthrough Producer. In December, ‘The Teacher’ received the Jury Award at the Red Sea International Film Festival, where the jury was headed by two-time Oscar-nominated filmmaker Baz Luhrmann; and Saleh Bakri received the Best Actor Award.

‘The Teacher’ follows on from Nabulsi’s directorial debut ‘The Present’, which premiered at Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival 2020 and won the coveted Audience Award for Best Film. It went on to win over 50 International Film Festival Jury and Audience Awards, a BAFTA Award and an Oscar Nomination. ‘The Present’ was licensed internationally including to Canal+ and Netflix Worldwide.