Democracy Now! Audio Palestinian Filmmaker/Actor Cherien Dabis on "All That's Left of You" & Death of Co-Star Mohammad Bakri
Jan 16, 2026
Cherien Dabis, a Palestinian-American filmmaker and star of the Oscar-shortlisted film, All That's Left of You, shares her journey of crafting the film over a decade. She touches on the challenges of filming with Palestinian refugee communities in Cyprus and Jordan. Dabis explores how the narrative delves into trauma across generations, and she reflects on the emotional weight brought by her late co-star, Mohammed Bakri. The discussion highlights cinema’s role in collective healing and urges support for Palestinian films.
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Decade-Long Development Process
- Cherien Dabis spent over a decade developing All That's Left of You, researching Palestinian history and characters before writing in 2020.
- She intentionally sat with the story five years to shape its multi-generational structure and historical scope.
Filming Interrupted By October 7
- Production was two weeks from shooting in the West Bank when October 7 halted everything and foreign crew evacuated.
- They left Palestinian crew behind and later relocated to Cyprus and Jordan, extending production to 11 months.
Shooting In Jordanian Refugee Camps
- After evacuating, Dabis shot first in Cyprus and then mostly in Jordan's Palestinian refugee camps.
- The team worked closely with refugee communities, which became central to the film's authenticity.