5 Palestinian Films to Watch: When preparing their time at the Excellence Center in Hebron, Palestine, international volunteers and interns can get a great sense of the culture, identity and the pride of the Palestine community by studying its art. Palestinian Cinema, while still a relatively young form, has been growing these last three decades. And what better time to study such cultural impact than at its ascendance. Five great Palestinian films can help in this discovery.

1. Wedding in Galilee (Michel Khleifi, 1987)

A Palestinian mayor seeks permission to celebrate his son’s wedding with an elaborate ceremony. The Israeli military governor of the region, who initially rejects the request due to fears of rioting, eventually permits the wedding with one condition, that he and his officers are invited to attend.

The film highlights tensions between the guests, as the conflicting cultures are brought together under the guise of celebration.. But the overriding message is the hope that unity through sharing and even compromise can be achieved – a lesson to us all as conveyed by the unique and mismatched guests at this celebration.

Wedding in Galilee was heralded as one of the first feature films to forgo the stereotypic distinctions claimed in the Arab-Israeli conflict, and to instead present both Arabs and Israelis as flawed, complex and ultimately sympathetic.

2. Divine Intervention (Elia Suleiman, 2002)

Divine Intervention is a black comedy in a surrealist cinematic style that tells the story of E.S., a Palestinian native of Nazareth who tends to his sick father in Jerusalem while carrying on an affair with a  woman in Ramallah. Because the two are kept from moving between the two cities, their romance is conducted at on of the notorious army checkpoints.

Drawing heavy influence from the films and performances of Buñuel, Buster Keaton and Jacques Tati, the film initially drew controversy in 2002 as to whether it qualified for the Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award due to the dispute in Palestine’s state status. A year later, however, the film was nominated for the honor, as the Academy chose to categorize Palestine in the same status as it does Hong Kong.

3. Paradise Now (Hany Abu Assad, 2005)

More of a direct ‘agitprop’ confrontation, Paradise Now tells the story of Khaled and Said, two Palestinian men recruited to carry out suicide attacks in Tel Aviv. The film follows the two childhood friends, as they prepare their last days and come to terms with their ultimate decisions.

The final 24 hrs before ‘the act’ is arguably one of the most direct depictions of the politics and personalities involved in the struggle, and the subsequent decisions laid bare. The film also highlights the deception involved in such recruitment of ‘martyrs’ and also depicts the Paestinian condemnation of violence.

Mostly, it tells the human story of those committed to such acts of sacrifice, and how these decisions and can derail for some, while growing stronger for others. Again, the Academy Award nomination (2006) was marked by controversy, as Israel challenged its depiction in the film and disputed the films true ‘Palestinian’ designation, as it had been directed by an Arab-Israeli and made with European funds.

4. Jenin, Jenin (Mohammed Bakri, 2002)

Jenin, Jenin is a documentary that explores what Bakri offers as the “Palestinian truth” about the Jenin Massacre, the battle between the Israeli army and Palestinian residents of the Jenin refugee camp during Operation Defensive Shield in 2002.

Initially rejected by the Israeli Film Board because it was considered libelous and offensive to the public, the film depicts the violence occurring between the Israeli army and those living in the camp in April of that year – allegations of terrorism being pronounced from both sides.

The 54-minute film was made from a series of first-hand accounts of the violence. Bakri’s rawness and  simplicity of approach offer a powerful, direct presentation of those testimonies.

5. When I Saw You (Lamma Shoftak, 2012)

When I Saw You is set in 1967 and tells the story of Tarek, an 11-year-old forced to flee the Palestinian Territories to neighboring Jordan due to the 6 Day War. Stuck in Harir Refugee Camp in Jordan, and missing his old life and his father, Tarek sets out on an improbable quest to find his way home.

Through this determination, Tarek acquires particular new friends, the freedom fighters who take him in to join in training, camaraderie and songs around the campfire. The liberation fighters themselves are humanized beyond formula and stereotype to show the lives of real people who simply want their lives and their land back. 

The role of Tarek is played by Mahmoud Asfa, an actual Palestinian refugee from a camp in the north of Jordan. The film as a whole conveys a humanity and hope of the perseverance and determination of the human spirit. The entirety of the funding and production was generated in Palestine, independent of outside influence.

As Palestinian Cinema grows, it is a great time to look to it for isight into the humanity and creativity of a proud people. For those planning their time at Excellence Center, the five films presented will provide a great introduction.

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