The Only Palestinian Filmmaker in Cannes’ Official Selection Made His Debut Without a Script — and with a Real Bedouin Family

Rakan Mayasi, the only Palestinian filmmaker in Cannes’ Official Selection, directed "Yesterday the Eye Didn't Sleep," which is premiering in Un Certain Regard. He studied under Abbas Kiarostami and Béla Tarr and worked with nonprofessional actors on a story inspired by his late grandmother’s forced marriage. The film was made without a script and features a real Bedouin family.