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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