Palestinian Unwanted
Omar Shargawi / Denmark & Jordan / 2026 / World Premiere / 73 min
During the war in Gaza, a Danish-Palestinian filmmaker tries to raise awareness among the Danish public while struggling to keep himself together. A deeply personal film with a mission.
For almost 20 years, Danish-Palestinian Omar Shargawi has been pushing the boundaries of what can be seen on the big screen. And for which stories could – and should – be told. In his hard-boiled genre films and as a documentary filmmaker, Shargawi has captured images of the underworld of Copenhagen and the experience of growing up between two cultures. Now he has made his most personal film to date.
‘Palestinian Unwanted’ was made in the aftermath of October 7 and is a film fueled by powerful emotions. Anger, desperation, fear – but also the will and courage to speak one’s mind and contradict others. As civilian death tolls rise in Gaza and cities lie in ruins, Sharwagi and his like-minded friends try to rouse the public and politicians, while at the same time trying to hold themselves together. A film that will stand as a document of the very time in which it was made, and of a filmmaker’s personal and political mission to change it.