TIFF Lightbox, Cinema 1

Film Details: 84 minutes | Directed by Maggie Lemere | Screening with "Intersecting Memory" | Documentary (60+ Minutes) | 2025 | Palestine | Canadian Premiere | Awards (selected): Trento Film Festival — Best Documentary on Current Affairs; Arizona International Film Festival — Best Documentary; Ely MN Film Festival — Best Cinematography; Nordic Palestine Film Festival — Jury Special Honorable Mention

Synopsis: Land of Canaan is an environmental portrait immersing viewers in the lives of Palestinian farmers and their ancient olive trees — living symbols of heritage and land stewardship. The film follows Dr. Nasser Abufarha's return to the occupied West Bank, where he finds the olive harvest industry in crisis and leads a movement to protect a fragile ecosystem and generations of ecological knowledge. Many of the featured olive trees are over 1,000 years old, rooted in regenerative, biodiversity-rich ecosystems. The film explores how food sovereignty, fair trade, and environmental stewardship become acts of cultural survival under occupation, and highlights the work of Canaan Palestine and the Trees for Life initiative, which supports over 2,400 artisan farming families across 52 villages and has helped plant more than 429,000 trees throughout the West Bank. 

Website: https://landofcanaanfilm.com/