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Divine Intervention
Elia Suleiman
In this darkly
comic masterpiece, Palestinian director
Elia Suleiman utilizes irreverence, wit,
mysticism and insight to craft an intense,
hallucinogenic and extremely adept exploration
of the dreams and nightmares of Palestinians
and Israelis living in uncertain times.
Subtitled,
"A Chronicle of Love and Pain,"
DIVINE INTERVENTION follows ES, a character
played by and clearly based upon the filmmaker
himself. ES is burdened with a sick father,
a stalled screenplay and an unrequited love
affair with a beautiful Palestinian woman
(Manal Khader) living in Ramallah. An Israeli
checkpoint on the Nazareth-Ramallah road
forces the couple to rendezvous in an adjacent
parking lot. Their relationship and the
absurd situations around them serve as metaphors
for the lunacy of larger cultural problems.
The result is a palpable rage that is both
personal and political.
Reviews
"One
of the top ten films of the year!"
- Richard Corliss, Time Magazine
"(The)
film achieves a level of artistry and firm
control over a clear, concise vision."
- Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter
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