Habibi Hussein

Habibi Hussein 

Alex Bakri, Palestine, Germany, Saudi Arabia, 2025, 96’ 

A cinematic portrait of projectionist Hussein Darbi, serving as a tribute to all those dedicated to preserving film heritage even under occupation, and a reflection on the pitfalls of cultural colonialism. 

When a German NGO arrived to restore the old theater, Hussein Darby, the last projectionist of Cinema Jenin in Palestine, was determined to showcase his expertise—hoping it might help him reclaim his former job. But what he doesn’t realize is that his time has already passed. 

“In Palestinian society, there is actually a lot of criticism of NGO structures. Even though they are needed and help a lot, they sometimes create new problems. One of them is that they create hierarchies within Palestinian society itself. /…/ Qualified people are taken away from local movements and employed by the NGOs. So the people who would otherwise work within the community now work for the NGOs and no longer directly for society. Moreover, their approach often depoliticises the occupation as the funding is usually not directed toward resolving the fundamental problem, the occupation itself, but toward resolving the consequences it creates.” Alex Bakri, MMC    

Alex Bakri is a Palestinian filmmaker active in various fields including cinematography, acting, and editing. Over the past decade, he has built a career as an editor, contributing to acclaimed films such as Of Fathers and Sons (Talal Derki, 2017). Habibi Hussein is his first feature-length documentary as a director.