Project Detail

Palestine Comedy Club

Synopsis

When six Palestinian comedians hit the road to tour a stand-up show across Palestine and Israel, their search for humour amidst the injustice of everyday Palestinian life becomes a plea for humanity in the face of brutal war.
There are no comedy clubs - or even a tradition of stand-up comedy - in Palestine. The country is also carved up by walls, fences and checkpoints that create divisions in culture and quality of life between towns. As such, developing a comedy show that can speak to these very different audiences is a herculean task.
Despite the cultural and security challenges of going on tour, the five Palestinian comedians and their British director manage to cross checkpoints and borders to perform in theatres in Palestine and Israel. Audiences flock to the shows and the tour gains momentum through increasing public demand. Word spreads internationally and they are invited to London for a series of gigs starting, tragically, on October 7th, 2023, just as war breaks out at home. Suddenly, the mission to connect audiences with thoughtful humanity becomes an existential imperative.
Official Selection SXSW London 2025 - World premiere
Official Selection IDFA International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam 2025
Official Selection DOC NYC 2025

Details

Year: 2025
Type of project: Features
Running time: 93 min
Format: Digital
Director: Alaa Aliabdallah 1st Feature
Producer: Charlotte Knowles
Executive Producer: Carri Twigg, Mikail Chowdhury, Farzana Rahman
Editor: Libby Knowles
Director of Photography: Alaa Aliabdallah
Sound: Rana Eid
Composer: Khalil Al-Batran
Principal cast: With contributions from: Alaa Shehada, Hanna Shsmmas, Diana Swity

Production Status

Complete

Production Company

Tough Crowd Limited

Charlotte Knowles
Unit D228 Parkhall Business Centre
62 Tritton Road
London
SE21 8DE

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Sales Company

First Hand Films

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