.
Tale of the
Three Jewels
Michel Khleifi
Tale of the Three Jewels is a moving parable and the first feature film ever to be filmed in the Gaza Strip. Made in the days following the Hebron Massacre—and before the arrival of the Palestinian Authority—it tells the story of Yussef, a twelve-year-old boy who lives in an imaginary world of his own and often escapes from the surrounding violence to the beautiful Gaza countryside.
One day he
meets Aida, a ravishing gypsy girl with
whom he falls in love. When Yussef declares
his intention of marrying her when they
grow up, she tells him that he must first
find three jewels missing from her grandmother’s
necklace, which was brought from South America
by her grandfather. This sets him off on
an amazing adventure.
Related Links
Al-Ahram
Weekly: Michel Khleifi - Looking for jewels
Reviews
"Michel
Khleifi's film is a glimmering parable about
the meaning of life, about beauty and freedom
and about the 'three borders' that govern
our destiny: time, space and flesh... a
jewel."
--The Independent on Sunday
"One
of the things that Tale of the Three
Jewels does exceptionally well is
to illustrate that even in a land torn by
strife, life and childhood go on. Yusef's
environment hasn't warped him -- he's basically
a well-adjusted young boy with many of the
same hopes and fears as other children all
around the world. Occasionally, violence
erupts suddenly, but Yusef is able to shrug
it off. It's part of his everyday life,
and, beyond the initial shock caused by
the first shots, he has learned to cope
with it."
--James Berardinelli