Concrete Playground

2009 may have begun with confronting news coverage of the Israeli incursion into Gaza, but it shall draw to a close with more heartening images from Palestine. For the second year, the Palestinian Film Festival is shining a light on their widely unknown national cinema. From the first Palestinian animation, to a hip-hop documentary, this year’s varied program shows the depth and breadth of their local talent.

Opening with the Cannes selected film The Time That Remains, from celebrated director Elia Suleiman, the festival is also hosting an advanced screening of Amreeka, winner of a FIPRESCI (critics’) Prize in Cannes. This crowd-pleaser from debut director Cherien Dabis tells the tale of an intractable mother who moves from the West Bank to America in search of a better life for her teenage son.

Other highlights from this impressive program include Edward Said: The Last Interview, surely a must see for anyone who came across the seminal Orientalism in their university studies. The Heart of Jenin is another intriguing documentary, about the Israeli organ recipients of a Palestinian child donor, shot by Israeli soldiers. Feature film Pomegranates and Myrrh also tackles Israeli/Palestinian relations in a story about land rights, imprisonment and dance that reunites Lemon Tree stars Hiam Abbass and Ali Suliman.

Taking place at the Palace Norton Street cinemas, the Palestinian Film Festival is a unique window into the cinematic world of this troubled territory.