Palestinian Film 'A Dazzling Light' Shortlisted for European Film Awards

The Palestinian feature film "A Dazzling Light," directed by Moyad Alayan, has been selected by the European Film Academy for its preliminary list of contenders for the 2027 European Film Awards. The film is among 45 narrative features nominated for the next stage of nominations, following its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival in September. The Academy announced a list of 68 feature films, including 45 narrative films, 15 documentaries, and 8 animated films, representing productions from 40 European countries, some with co-production ties outside Europe. Narrative and documentary selections were made by the Academy's board members and invited European film experts, while a specialized committee chose the animated films. Approximately 5,700 Academy members will view the shortlisted films in the coming weeks before voting on the official nominees. The Academy will announce the main nominations on November 14, 2026, during the Thessaloniki International Film Festival in Greece. The 39th edition of the awards ceremony will take place on January 16, 2027, in Athens, Greece, at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center, marking the first time the awards are hosted in Southeast Europe.

"A Dazzling Light" is set in Jerusalem and tells the story of Kamal Abu Wael, a 60-year-old Palestinian man living alone after the presumed drowning of his son, Wael, in the Red Sea nearly twenty years ago. The plot is triggered when Kamal receives a court order from an Israeli court to pay substantial debts allegedly incurred by his deceased son. He discovers that the absence of an official death certificate makes him liable for these payments. Forced to re-examine his son's disappearance, Abu Wael enlists a lawyer to access records that might shed light on the incident. His investigation leads him to hospital archives in the coastal city where Wael vanished, uncovering new information that raises questions about the event the family believed was long resolved. The film also explores fractured family relationships, including Abu Wael's strained connection with his estranged daughter, and the guilt and unresolved issues within the family. The narrative is framed within the context of Palestinian life in Jerusalem, where personal relationships intertwine with the city's political and social realities and the pressures imposed by the occupation.

The 112-minute film, a co-production between Palestine, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, was previously screened in the "Spotlight" program at the 83rd Venice Film Festival from September 2 to 12, 2026.