If Birds Believed in God

If Birds Believed in God

Beauty in the Struggle

2025 · 22 min · Drama

The story follows a day in the life of Ismail, a Palestinian photographer whose American upbringing was shaped by his grandfather’s displacement during the 1948 Palestine Nakba. When Ismail’s mother gifts him his grandfather’s keffiyeh—a traditional Palestinian scarf—it triggers an internal struggle between shame and pride in his cultural identity, all unfolding against the ominous backdrop of rising violence against Palestinians.

Directed by Samer Saifan · Written by Samer Saifan

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Cast

Make it a double feature

3h 44m together

If Birds Believed in God

The Godfather Part II

A close match in mood and era.

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