“We were in an area that was full of migrants,” he said. “We had extras in the film who were actually migrants stranded in Athens.”
Sabbagh, who also put his skateboarding skills to use in the role, said he often asked his co-star Mahmoud Bakri — who comes from a well-known Palestinian theatrical family and plays Chatila — for acting tips.
Bakri, 27, who studied cinema in Bethlehem, said it was also important for him to be in Cannes as a Palestinian actor at the start of his career.
But he said he found it difficult to attend the festivities because of the ongoing war in Gaza. “I don't think I'm in the mood,” he said.