“ If Birds Believed in God allows its audience to empathize not only with what the average Palestinian has been going through emotionally — and the fear for their safety brought on by the war — but also with the realization that even when the conflict is seemingly over, it never is. ”
8 / 10 Film Score
“ A quiet but emotionally intense portrait of identity and inherited trauma … the film captures the tension between pride and alienation with subtle, grounded storytelling. Its strength lies in its restraint, allowing the audience to feel the internal conflict rather than be told … a thoughtful and haunting short that lingers after it ends. ”
“Jarring. Painfully beautiful. Poignant. Calls out our society in a very big way.”
“ Really intimate look at grappling with the weight of decades of horror and violence and attempting to forge your identity through it despite the world committing to punish you for who you are. The ending was devastating and for such a heavy subject matter, it's handled with an incredible amount of grace. Extremely excited to see where Saifan goes from here. ”
“Compelling from start to finish.”
— Letterboxd