Synopsis:

After discovering a photo from the 1930s featuring an Arabic woman and a British archaeologist, director Salim Abu Jabal becomes intrigued: the Palestinian woman in the picture appears to have discovered the first Neanderthal skeleton in the Middle East. However, on the back of the photo it only says “Yusra”. No last name. Salim talks to historians and others who have also been investigating Yusra's identity – in vain. When he publishes an article about Yusra, he receives unexpected calls from Palestinian families across Iraq, Jordan, and Israel/Palestine, all claiming that Yusra was their grandmother. In a multilayered filmic exploration, Salim collects anecdotal stories from potential descendants, interviews Palestinian women, and explores previously unseen archival material from 1930s Palestine. The film reveals that Yusra's untold story is ultimately a tale of heritage and identity that transcends borders, as well as a story of the omission of women of colour from colonial history writing.

Director’s profile:

Salim Abu Jabal was born in the occupied Golan Heights. He studied theatre studies and Arabic literature at the University of Haifa, and later dramaturgy. After graduating from Haifa University, he stayed in Yafa City and later moved to Ramallah in the West Bank. There, he worked as a journalist, focusing on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through his writing as a cultural critic. After having worked in the film industry in many capacities, such as Casting Director, Salim first became known for his award-winning directorial debut, the documentary feature "Roshmia". The film was screened at IDFA, Dubai International Film Festival and many other festivals. Roshmia received the Special Jury Prize in Dubai, Best Documentary from MedFilm Festival in Rome and a further 11 awards from prestigious Arab and international festivals. Salim has also directed short documentaries such as “After 8 Years” (2019) and “The Language of Almonds” (2011). As a producer, he produced films such as “Palestine 87” (2021) by Bilal Alkhatib, “Anatomy of Love” (2021) by Riyad Dies, as well as his own film, “Roshmia”.

Producer’s profile:

Yasmin C. Rams is a film producer and director. She founded her first production company in 2011 and made short films with various directors. After collaborating on the short film “African Cowboy,” Yasmin decided to team up with Rodney Charles and they founded the production company Perennial Lens with offices in Germany and Los Angeles. With Perennial Lens, she produced films such as the feature-length documentary “In Exile,” directed by Myanmar director Tin Win Naing, which had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, screening at Busan, DOK Leipzig and other festivals world-wide. Her award-winning film “Go Heal Yourself” was produced in 2021 in co-production with ZDF/3sat, screened amongst others at DOC NYC and ran successfully in German cinemas