Tag Archives: Palestine

October 2024 Viewing Diary

Downfall (2005; d. Oliver Hirschbiegel) I’ve watched a couple of times. Always good to have a reminder of the madness of those final months, where even the most hardened monstrous men were like, “… uhm, yeah, he’s a lunatic, I’m … Continue reading

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Review: No Other Land (2024)

A very tough challenging watch. But it should be watched. (In my review for Ebert I mention Green Border, directed by Polish master Agnieszka Holland, released earlier this year. See it. One if fictional – but barely – it’s really … Continue reading

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March 2022 Viewing Diary

I’m going along my own viewing way, and then I get a gig, and everything changes. You can tell when it happens. Not announcing this gig yet, and will not be confirming or denying anything. The viewing diary is what … Continue reading

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Review: Huda’s Salon (2022)

Such a fantastic film by Palestinian filmmaker Hany Abu-Assad (I recommend his other films too, particularly Paradise Now and Omar). Huda’s Salon features four tremendous performances (there are really only four characters in it – creating a claustrophobic belljar, a … Continue reading

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Year in Review: Shooting My Mouth Off in 2014

I may write some magnum opus in the next two days, you never know, but here are links to some of the things I’ve written in 2014, here and elsewhere. I have worked hard to keep my site an eclectic … Continue reading

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Seen Recently: Paradise Now (2005), Museum Hours (2012)

I recently reviewed director Hany Abu-Assad’s latest film, Omar for Roger Ebert. Omar was about a young Palestinian guy, who had a secret girlfriend, and a job, but also was drawn into the cycle of violence of the larger conflict, … Continue reading

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Review: Bethlehem (2014)

Bethlehem, co-written by an Israeli and an Arab, tells the story of an Israeli secret service agent and his teenage Palestinian informant. What does it mean to play both sides in a conflict? Can that situation EVER go over well? … Continue reading

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Review: Omar (2014); directed by Hany Abu-Assad

The latest from director Hany Abu-Assad, and his first Palestinian feature since Paradise Now, Omar is pretty great. Upsetting, exciting, romantic, energetically filmed, great characters and scene-work. Also, best of all, it doesn’t present solutions to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in … Continue reading

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