The 2025 Cannes Film Festival spotlighted a surge of bold Arab voices that commanded the global stage with stories that refuse to be ignored. This year, Arab filmmakers brought raw, fearless narratives to Cannes that earned top honors across categories — from Best Director to Best Actress and the coveted Golden Palm for Best Short Film. These films don’t shy away from the harsh realities of war, repression, and survival, but they also reveal an unbreakable human spirit threaded with complexity, humor, and hope.
ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA
Directed by the Nasser brothers, the film took home the Best Director award in the Un Certain Regard section. This hauntingly poetic film offers a vivid, textured glimpse of Gaza in 2007 and 2009, through the eyes of Yahya, a student caught between a brutal reality and fleeting dreams. The story’s shift from a gritty friendship to a politically charged TV series captures Gaza’s contradictions and resilience with unflinching sensitivity.
THE PRESIDENT’S CAKE
In a completely different tone but no less powerful, The President’s Cake, Hasan Hadi’s debut feature, bagged both the Camera d’Or and the Audience Award. Set in 1990s Iraq, this sharp satirical comedy spins the simple act of baking the president’s birthday cake into a high-stakes survival game in a climate thick with fear and absurdity. Hadi’s film cleverly mixes wit and biting social critique, resonating strongly with both critics and viewers hungry for stories that cut through the chaos with humor and heart.
I’M GLAD YOU’RE DEAD NOW
I’m Glad You’re Dead Now by Tawfeek Barhom claimed the festival’s top prize for short films — the Golden Palm. The film delves deep into grief and memory as two brothers return to their childhood island, unlocking secrets that demand reckoning. Stripped down yet profoundly emotional, Barhom’s minimalist style and his own starring role craft an experience that crosses cultural lines. His dedication of the award to Palestine and the quest for peace added an extra layer of meaning to this powerful work.
LA PETITE DERNIÈRE
Finally, Nadia Melliti’s performance in Hafsia Herzi’s La Petite Dernière earned her the Female Interpretation Prize, highlighting a delicate but fierce portrayal of Arab womanhood. Melliti’s role as a woman wrestling with generational trauma and family burdens struck a chord with Cannes audiences, making her performance impossible to forget.
