Hussein Darby, the last projectionist of Cinema Jenin in Palestine, thought it a golden opportunity. When a German NGO came to restore the theater, Hussein was ready to prove his skills. He believed that it would help him get his job back. To revive the 50-year-old projector, he travels across the West Bank and even attempts to enter Israel. But he doesn’t know that his era has already passed. Alex Bakri captures this anachronistic struggle with a warm, friendly gaze. The passion and commitment in Bakri’s lens mirrors Hussein’s own. ‘Habibi’ in the title means ‘my beloved.’ This is a cinematic tribute from the director, giving Hussein the praise he longed for but never heard: Hussein, you are the best.
