Cherien Dabis: Filmmaker Behind “All That’s Left of You” Backstory

Filmmaker ‍Cherien Dabis reflects on her long relationship⁣ with the ⁣Sundance ⁣Institute and⁢ the deeply personal⁣ inspiration behind her ⁤latest work.

</p> <p>Cherien Dabis’s connection⁢ with Sundance dates back to 2006, when her short film, <em>Make a Wish</em>, shot entirely in‍ Palestine, premiered ⁤at the festival. “It was incredibly exciting and confidence-boosting,” Dabis recalls. “The endorsement of one of the best festivals ‌in the ⁢world helped me raise money for my first feature, <em>Amreeka</em>, which also world-premiered at Sundance in 2009.”</p> <p>Dabis attributes her success as a storyteller to a⁤ relentless drive and,‍ more importantly, a ⁢commitment to representing underrepresented communities, especially her own. “My writing professor at Columbia would say⁢ my ‘dogged determination,'” she says. “But I feel the real reason is my commitment to and passion for representing the under-and-misrepresented… It’s what ⁤keeps me doggedly steadfast despite challenges.”</p> <p>Looking ahead, Dabis hopes her films will foster recognition and ⁤empathy. “I want people to recognize themselves‌ in my characters,” she⁢ explains. “I want them to witness the decades of struggle that Palestinians have patiently ⁣endured. I want the film ⁤to inspire love and compassion‍ and to say that holding onto our⁢ humanity is the only way⁢ forward.”</p> <p>The inspiration for this film stems directly from the strength and resilience of the Palestinian people. ⁤”It’s the‍ strength, resilience, and love of my⁢ people in the face of decades of ⁣unbearable loss, ⁤hardship and suffering,” Dabis states.</p> <p>Dabis believes the timing of her film is crucial, offering vital past context to current events. “the film gives much needed historical context to political ‍events we’re currently witnessing,” she says. “It ⁤tells‌ the story of how we ended up where we are today. When I wrote it back in 2020, I had no way of knowing how incredibly relevant ‌it would become.”</p> <p>Working with the Bakri family, a multi-generational family of Palestinian actors, was a particular highlight. Dabis describes a collaborative process on set. “We adopted a flexible‍ way of working together where we often changed the dialogue if⁣ we felt it wasn’t landing right or ⁢if one of us⁣ had⁤ a better idea. It was such‌ a fun, creative process of really⁣ working moment to moment to⁤ keep everything grounded and real.”</p><div class="itgee69af26818d89a" > <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block; text-align:center;" data-ad-layout="in-article" data-ad-format="fluid" data-ad-client="ca-pub-0928966750491324" data-ad-slot="4831348994"></ins> </div><style type="text/css"> @media screen and (min-width: 1201px) { .itgee69af26818d89a { display: block; } } @media screen and (min-width: 993px) and (max-width: 1200px) { .itgee69af26818d89a { display: block; } } @media screen and (min-width: 769px) and (max-width: 992px) { .itgee69af26818d89a { display: block; } } @media screen and (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 768px) { .itgee69af26818d89a { display: block; } } @media screen and (max-width: 767px) { .itgee69af26818d89a { display: block; } } </style> <div class="sharedaddy sd-sharing-enabled"><div class="robots-nocontent sd-block sd-social sd-social-icon-text sd-sharing"><h3 class="sd-title">Share this:</h3><div class="sd-content"><ul><li class="share-facebook"><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" data-shared="sharing-facebook-5369551" class="share-facebook sd-button share-icon" href="https://www.newsdirectory3.com/cherien-dabis-filmmaker-behind-all-thats-left-of-you-backstory/?share=facebook" target="_blank" aria-labelledby="sharing-facebook-5369551" > <span id="sharing-facebook-5369551" hidden>Share on Facebook (Opens in new window)</span> <span>Facebook</span> </a></li><li class="share-x"><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" data-shared="sharing-x-5369551" class="share-x sd-button share-icon" href="https://www.newsdirectory3.com/cherien-dabis-filmmaker-behind-all-thats-left-of-you-backstory/?share=x" target="_blank" aria-labelledby="sharing-x-5369551" > <span id="sharing-x-5369551" hidden>Share on X (Opens in new window)</span> <span>X</span> </a></li><li class="share-end"></li></ul></div></div></div> <div id='jp-relatedposts' class='jp-relatedposts' > <h3 class="jp-relatedposts-headline"><em>Related</em></h3> </div><div class="gfyac69af26818d858" > <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-format="autorelaxed" data-ad-client="ca-pub-0928966750491324" data-ad-slot="2142030146"></ins> </div><style type="text/css"> @media screen and (min-width: 1201px) { .gfyac69af26818d858 { display: block; } } @media screen and (min-width: 993px) and (max-width: 1200px) { .gfyac69af26818d858 { display: block; } } @media screen and (min-width: 769px) and (max-width: 992px) { .gfyac69af26818d858 { display: block; } } @media screen and (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 768px) { .gfyac69af26818d858 { display: block; } } @media screen and (max-width: 767px) { .gfyac69af26818d858 { display: block; } } </style> </div> </article> </div> <aside class="sidebar" role="complementary"> <div id="block-9" class="widget widget_block"> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Search:</h2> </div><div id="block-10" class="widget widget_block"> <div class="gcse-search"></div></div><div id="block-7" class="widget widget_block">  <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-0928966750491324" data-ad-slot="9568666067" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins> </div><div id="block-8" class="widget widget_block">  <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-0928966750491324" data-ad-slot="9568666067" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins> </div></aside> </div> </div> </section> </main> <footer class="site-footer" role="contentinfo"> <div class="container footer-grid"> <div class="footer-column"> <div class="footer-brand"> <a href="https://www.newsdirectory3.com/" class="custom-logo-link" rel="home"><img width="772" height="555" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.newsdirectory3.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/cropped-logo.png?fit=772%2C555&ssl=1" class="custom-logo" alt="News Directory 3" decoding="async" srcset="https://www.newsdirectory3.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/cropped-logo.png 772w, https://www.newsdirectory3.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/cropped-logo-300x216.png 300w, https://www.newsdirectory3.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/cropped-logo-768x552.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 772px) 100vw, 772px" /></a> </div> <p class="footer-description">ByoDirectory is a comprehensive directory of businesses and services across the United States. 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