Hany Abu-Assad's "Paradise Now," which won the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Film, has been nominated in the same category for an Oscar, marking the first time the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has recognized a film from Palestine about Palestinian culture. (Several Israeli and Jewish groups have petitioned the academy to change the entry from "Palestine" to "Palestinian territories" to no avail as of this writing.)
With the recognition of "Paradise Now," a gripping tale of two young would-be suicide bombers from the impoverished town of Nablus, the entertainment industry has acknowledged that there is not just one narrative; that the Israeli-Jewish story must make room, finally, for Palestinian stories about themselves. And a just-published translation of the novel "Gate of the Sun" (Archipelago Books, 2006), by Elias Khoury, offers another opportunity to learn about how Palestinians see themselves as a people in exile, and how they view what happened to their country in 1948.
On the eve of the winners of the Oscars being announced, it is worth bearing in mind that this movie has been the subject of much criticism by Israelis and Jews around the world - on the basis that it depicts suicide bombers as some sort of heroes. The director has another view on what he hopes to achieve with the movie and his general philosophy and hopes for Palestinians and Israelis. Read the full article [the above extract above is the begining] from AlterNet here.
With the recognition of "Paradise Now," a gripping tale of two young would-be suicide bombers from the impoverished town of Nablus, the entertainment industry has acknowledged that there is not just one narrative; that the Israeli-Jewish story must make room, finally, for Palestinian stories about themselves. And a just-published translation of the novel "Gate of the Sun" (Archipelago Books, 2006), by Elias Khoury, offers another opportunity to learn about how Palestinians see themselves as a people in exile, and how they view what happened to their country in 1948.
On the eve of the winners of the Oscars being announced, it is worth bearing in mind that this movie has been the subject of much criticism by Israelis and Jews around the world - on the basis that it depicts suicide bombers as some sort of heroes. The director has another view on what he hopes to achieve with the movie and his general philosophy and hopes for Palestinians and Israelis. Read the full article [the above extract above is the begining] from AlterNet here.
Comments