Palestinian actor Karim Daoud Anaya, who makes his screen debut in Annemarie Jacir’s Palestine 36 in the role of Yusuf, was born in the city of Qalqilya in the West Bank. He moved to Berlin in 2015, “because a friend of mine suggested me for a part in a theatre play there”, he says. Since then, he has called the German capital his home, and loves it because “Berlin is a place of art and creativity for all kinds of people”.
A self-trained actor who is also a parkour artist, it was the freedom he enjoyed practising the latter pursuit that led him indirectly to the theatre, as his colleague and friend Maryam abu Khaled — “an amazing actress who was my inspiration for many years” — introduced him to workshops and other actors in Berlin. “This has opened a whole horizon of stories for me, and in particular, of our stories to tell,” he says.
Indeed, starring in Palestine 36, the territory’s entry for the 2026 Academy Awards, has expanded the opportunities for this young actor. The casting process for the film involved several meetings with Jacir, as the two got to know each other. It included the filmmaker visiting Anaya in Qalqilya — and him trying to pay a return visit to see her in Haifa, only to be met by the harsh political realities of his place of birth. “It was not possible for me to get permits [to make the crossing into Israel],” he says.
Describing the Palestine 36 shoot as “a great experience to have, which has shaped me as a human being”, Anaya says: “When I’m acting, I am free to express myself in characters, to make them come alive, in their stories which I aim to tell in honesty and sensitivity.”
Looking ahead, he wants to pursue further roles in features films while continuing with his first love of the theatre. “I am open for new opportunities and work that can be challenging emotionally, to create more and more complex characters,” he says.
Contact: Karim Daoud Anaya
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