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The Belle from Gaza

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The Belle from Gaza
Theatrical release poster
FrenchLa Belle de Gaza
Directed byYolande Zauberman
Written byYolande Zauberman
Produced by
  • Bruno Nahon
  • Yolande Zauberman
Starring
CinematographyYolande Zauberman
Edited by
  • Rafael Torres Calderón
  • Yolande Zauberman
  • Léo Richard
Production
companies
Distributed byPyramide Distribution
Release dates
  • 17 May 2024 (2024-05-17) (Cannes)
  • 29 May 2024 (2024-05-29) (France)
Running time
76 minutes
CountryFrance
Languages
  • English
  • Arabic
  • French
  • Hebrew
Box office$74,847[1]

The Belle from Gaza (French: La Belle de Gaza) is a 2024 French documentary film written, shot, co-edited, co-produced and directed by Yolande Zauberman. The film follows Zauberman's pursuit of a trans woman who traveled on foot to Tel Aviv from Gaza.[2][3][4]

It had its world premiere in the Special Screenings section at the 77th Cannes Film Festival on 17 May 2024, where it competed for the L'Œil d'or and Queer Palm. It was theatrically released on 29 May 2024 by Pyramide Distribution.

Premise

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The Belle from Gaza is a documentary film about transgender women in Israel. In it, Yolande Zauberman investigates the legend of a young girl who, threatened with death because of her trans identity, reportedly fled the Gaza Strip to travel on foot to Tel Aviv.

Filmed on Hatnufa Street in Tel Aviv, the documentary interweaves the often tragic lives of several transgender women, some of whom are prostitutes. Israela, who comes from an Orthodox Jewish background, tells the story of her marriage to a rabbi, to whom she confessed being trans when she wanted a divorce. Danielle, who came from the Palestinian territories, was kidnapped by men from her hometown. She survived but her mother told her, "I regret that they didn't kill you". Conversely, the Israeli Talleen Abu Hanna, winner of Miss Trans Israel in 2016, feels accepted and expresses her gratitude to her country.[5]

Release

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The film was selected to be screened in the Special Screenings section at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, where it had its world premiere on 17 May 2024.[6]

The film was released in France on 29 May 2024 by Pyramide Distribution,[7] with the company's sales arm Pyramide International handling world sales for the film.[2]

Reception

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Critical response

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 60% of 5 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8/10.[8]

Accolades

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Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
Cannes Film Festival 24 May 2024 L'Œil d'or Yolande Zauberman Nominated [9]
25 May 2024 Queer Palm Nominated [10]

References

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  1. ^ "The Belle from Gaza (2024)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
  2. ^ a b Galuppo, Mia (16 May 2024). "How a French Filmmaker Traced the Journey of Trans Women From Gaza in Cannes Doc". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  3. ^ Khaldi, Tarik (17 May 2024). "Interview with Yolande Zauberman, searching for the legendary belle from Gaza". Festival de Cannes. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  4. ^ Oltermann, Philip (16 May 2024). "'To escape Gaza is already an achievement. And then to be trans?': the women defying national and gender boundaries". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  5. ^ Colombani, Florence (18 May 2024). "Cannes 2024 : La Belle de Gaza, un documentaire délicat sur des femmes trans d'origine palestinienne". Le Point (in French). Retrieved 18 May 2024.
  6. ^ "The Screenings Guide of the 77th Festival de Cannes". Festival de Cannes. 8 May 2024. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
  7. ^ Minisini, Lucas (17 May 2024). "En Israël, Talleen Abu Hanna, la jeune espoir des femmes transgenres". M le magazine du Monde (in French). Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  8. ^ "The Belle from Gaza". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
  9. ^ "2024 Competition". L'Œil d'or (in French). Scam : Société civile des auteurs multimédia. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  10. ^ Dams, Tim (9 May 2024). "Queer Palm reveals eligible titles from 2024 Cannes lineup". Screen International. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
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