Saleh Bakri (Arabic: صالح بكري, Hebrew: סאלח בכרי; born 1977) is a Palestinian[2][3] film and theater actor. He began his career in the theater. He is the son of actor and film director Mohammad Bakri, and the brother of actors Ziad, Adam Bakri and Mahmood Bakri.

Theater and film career

Bakri performed in Death and the Maiden directed by Juliano Mer-Khamis.

In 2007, Bakri appeared in his first two films: The Band's Visit, and Salt of this Sea by Annemarie Jacir, which premiered at Cannes in 2008. Salt of this Sea was Bakri's debut performance in an Arab film and went on to be Palestine's official submission for the Academy Awards. The Band's Visit also won numerous prizes and awards. The following year he portrayed Elia Suleiman's father Fouad in The Time That Remains.

In 2011, Bakri appeared in Radu Mihaileanu's movie The Source alongside Leïla Bekhti, Hafsia Herzi, Biyouna, Sabrina Ouazani, and Hiam Abbass.

Bakri was the protagonist of Sharif Waked's work To be continued in 2009, portraying a Palestinian martyr who reads what was supposed to be the text that testifies to his approaching obliteration but emerges instead as tales from A Thousand and One Nights. Other projects include Laila's Birthday by Rachid Masharawi, playing a supporting role next to his father, Annemarie Jacir's second movie When I Saw You, [4] and a short movie titled Fireworks directed by Italian director Giacomo Abbruzzese. He played the eponymous protagonist in the Italian thriller Salvo, which won the Critics' Week Grand Prize at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival.[5] In 2015 Bakri appeared at the Royal Court Theatre in the play 'Fireworks' by Palestinian playwright Dalia Taha, about two families living under siege in Gaza.[6] In 2019 Bakri starred in Dialogue with the Unseen by Italian artist Valerio Rocco Orlando, a video installation about individuals who are questioning their own relationship with nature and society.[7]

In 2021 Bakri's film The Present was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film.[8]

In 2022, Bakri played the protagonist in The Blue Caftan, directed by Maryam Touzani.[9]

Selected filmography

Year Title Role Director(s) Notes
2007 The Band's Visit Khaled Eran Kolirin Original title: Bikur Ha-Tizmoret
2008 Salt of this Sea Emad Annemarie Jacir Original title: Milh Hadha al-Bahr
2008 Laila's Birthday Prisoner Rashid Masharawi Original title: Eid milad Laila
2009 The Time That Remains Fuad Elia Suleiman
2011 The Source Sami Radu Mihăileanu Original title: La Source des Femmes
2011 Fireworks Saleh Giacomo Abbruzzese
2012 When I Saw You Layth Annemarie Jacir Original title: Lamma Shoftak
2013 Salvo Salvo Mancuso Fabio Grassadonia and Antonio Piazza
2014 Giraffada Yacine Rani Massalha
2015 Rattle the Cage Talal Majid Al Ansari Original title: Zinzana
2017 Wajib Shadi Annemarie Jacir
2017 Bonboné Rakan Mayasi Short film
2018 The Tower Yehia Mats Grorud Animated film
2019 My Zoe Akil Julie Delpy
2019 Dialogue with the Unseen Valerio Rocco Orlando
2020 The Present Yusef Farah Nabulsi Short film
2021 Costa Brava, Lebanon Mounia Akl Completed
2022 Grasshoppers Nijm Brad Bischoff Completed
2022 The Blue Caftan Halim
2023 The Teacher Basem

References

  1. ^ Barlow, Helen (October 2, 2013). "Salvo: Saleh Bakri interview". SBS. Retrieved February 6, 2018.
  2. ^ "Interview with Saleh Bakri: The Palestinian actor tells Frank Barat why fame will not change him - or his passion for justice for his people". New Internationalist. December 2013. Retrieved 2023-12-29.
  3. ^ "Saleh Bakri will shine a light on Palestinian cinema at the Arab Film Festival in Australia | Al Bawaba". al-Bbawaba. 3 June 2015. Retrieved 2023-12-29.
  4. ^ "When I Saw You - The Film لما شفتك". Facebook. Retrieved 2013-04-22.
  5. ^ Michael Rosser (23 May 2013). "Salvo wins Cannes Critics' Week". Screen Daily. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
  6. ^ Palestinian playwright Dalia Taha "You want stories of suffering , "The Guardian" retrieved February 13, 2016
  7. ^ Caroline Corbetta (18 June 2019). "Dialogue with the Unseen". Domus. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  8. ^ Oscar-nominated Palestinian film ‘The Present’ debuts on Netflix
  9. ^ Linden, Sheri (2023-09-10). "'The Teacher' Review: A Debut Feature's Eye-Opening Dramatization of Life in Occupied Palestine". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2023-09-10.

External links