Under the “Palestinian Stories” category, Netflix features stories from the best filmmakers from the Arab world, the streaming giant wrote in a post pers conference.

A total of 32 films and documentaries have been published for audiences worldwide.

Palestinian filmmaker May Odeh collaborated with Netflix to create this collection.

He guarantees that people all over the world will love the film.

– Palestine story is authentic. Since Palestinians do not lead normal lives, even the simplest of stories would be extraordinary. This is a story you won’t see in the rest of the world.

Several of his films are part of this collection.

Israeli films and series have dominated

Israeli films and series have long been popular on Netflix.

One such series is “Fauda”, a political thriller series based on the conflict between Israel and Palestine.

Fauda is the Arabic word for chaos. And chaos? We always find it in wars and conflicts.

The series tells two sides of the same story, and has been praised for being a well-balanced story that demonstrates understanding from both Palestinian and Israeli perspectives.

At least at first, says series reviewer on Aftenposte, Asbjørn Slettemark.

According to critics, the last season didn’t do this either.

– The series has evolved into a series of pure Israeli revenge against Palestinian terrorists. Then came criticism of “Fauda” and Netflix that the series was simply Israeli propaganda, Slettemark said.

But why has Netflix chosen to do this now?

Slettemark believes it is important for Netflix to strike a balance based on criticism of series like “Fauda”.

But at the end of the day it’s about money, says Slettemark.

– Netflix will make money by serving its viewers. One way to do this is to focus heavily on local content. They will find the best and best-selling stories from every little corner of the world.

And if this can earn them a good reputation, great content, and more viewers, then of course they do.

Balanced image

Line Khatieb, head of the Palestinian Committee in Norway, believes that “Fauda” and several other Israeli series helped create a thin image of Arabs and Palestinians as a nation.

He is happy that Netflix is ​​now also focusing on Palestine stories.

– Middle Eastern narratives in American and Israeli films and series show caricatures of Arabs and Palestinians, Khatieb believes.

Therefore, this release is good news – these films help balance the image of the Middle East.

– Films from the Palestinian and Arab worlds are often lost in the mainstream media. It influences our understanding of culture, language and music. It’s great that it’s now available to a wide audience, Khatieb said.

In an email to NRK, a Netflix spokesperson replied that they are proud of the collection.

– We launched this collection because we want more people around the world to have access to experience fantastic stories, and to have the opportunity to see their lives represented on screen. We are proud to bring Arabic series and films to the world, and showcase the extraordinary talent and filmmakers of the region.