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Is there a Palestinian Cinema that expresses the Palestinian realm now? It is difficult to answer this question as movie productions need several factors to exist. The Palestinian Authority does not have the time or money to produce movies. But, what is the status of the Palestinian Cinema?
The simple answer is that the Cinema stands where the issue itself stopped. As the Cinema, in its early stages, carried a rifle in one hand and a Camera in the other to record all the victories and events that occur on the occupied territories, today's Cinema has been affected by reality and resulted in a group of cinema workers with different orientations.
This leads us to another question, who do we refer the movie to? Usually, the movie is referred to the producer, despite being known by the name of the director. Therefore, there appeared on the Palestinian scene some movies that can be named Palestinian movies as they were directed by Palestinians. And, some movies which can named Israeli, because although the directors are Palestinian, they carry an Israeli identification and received support from the Israeli government.
Most of the movies were authentic movies that rely on dialogues between Arabs and Israelis, or are images of a live Arab reality, including the Israelis and the Palestinians. Some examples of these movies :
· Mohammad Bakry - Arab Palestine 1948
Mohammad Bakry surprised the Arab World with this movie. Arab Palestine 1948 relies on dialogues in 1948 among Arabs, who did not leave the Occupied Territory, and some Jewish settlers who came to the Promised Land looking to achieve a dream . The movie presents the viewpoint of each side and was shot in Occupied Palestine with the permission of the Occupation Authorities.
· Michael Khalifa and his movies:
Michael Khalifa was born in El-Nassiria in Hebron, 1950. He studied Cinema in Belgium. Michael Khalifa presented several movies including :
* Images From Rich Memories, 1980
It is a Belgian-Dutch production and relies on a dialogue between two women; one of whom is a martyr widow - Romi Farah, a Christian village girl, and the Muslim writer - Sahar Khalifa, a city girl. The movie depicts the daily struggle for both of them to achieve the country's rights and their rights as women as well.
* Hebron Marriage, 1987
It is also Belgian-Dutch-French-British-German production that talks about a marriage party in a village under occupation. The Israeli governor insists on attending the party before allowing it. During the party several contradictions appear between the occupation soldiers and the villagers in dealing with land, animal, food and drink. But this does not deny the dialogue between the two parties.
* The Anthem of the Stone
The first movie on the Palestinian Intifada (uprising) against the Israeli occupation has two parts. Part one is an authentication on the Stone Intifada; the second is narrative on a love story between intellectual Palestinians.
* The Story of the Three Jewels
It is Belgian-French-British-Palestinian production . What is noticeable about Michael Khalifa's movies is that they are authentication movies containing a narrative part, and not long movies.
Palestinian or Israeli Movies ?
If Michael Khalifa was shooting his movies in Israel, covertly, relying on the joint production of some foreign countries, so these movies may be shown under the names of these producer countries, Rasheed Mashharawy made his movies in Occupied Palestine, within the prevailing Israeli cinema and with the cooperation of Israeli technicians.
- Till Another Notice, 1994 - is a movie produced by Rasheed Mashharawy's company, Black September, in association with a Dutch company and in which he used Israeli technicians.
This movie tackles the life of the Palestinian people in camps. While presenting the suffering of the Palestinians, he condemns the Israeli occupying authorities without flagrant mottoes.
- Haifa, 1996 - is a joint production among Mashharawy, the Netherlands, France and Germany. This may be considered the first Palestinian movie; not only because of the director's nationality, but because the address of Mashharawy's company is in the West Bank under the Palestinian Authorities' administration. The movie presents the life of the Palestinian people during the Peace Process. Its main hero is a person called Haifa who is mentally unstable. The movie presents two families in a camp and the perspective of each one on the events, the impact and reactions.
Israeli Movies with Palestinian Hands
As most of the mentioned productions carried the name of Palestine, the first Palestinian movie in which Zionism participated in a financing role, according to the regulating rules, is Disappearance Record by the Palestinian director Ellia Soliman. What is interesting about the movie is the supported given to it by the Palestinian Ministry of Culture. The scenario was written by the director Ghaleb Sha'ath. It was shown in 1998 under the name of Israel and shown in Tunisia under the name of Palestine.
Such types of movies are the most dangerous, as they are considered a trap for the Palestinian intellect, presenting topics which correspond with Zionism, a matter which is considered putting the poison in the honey and poisoning Palestinian minds. In these movies, the Zionist military practices are not presented in a repulsive way or presuming that they are the occupying forces of the Arab Land. Looting Palestine, or part of it, does not mean the case is solved or the Palestinian issue is finished
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