Academy snubs fine Palestinian movie Fri Jan 24, 7:22 AM ET USA TODAY On Feb. 11, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will nominate films for the Oscars. One highly acclaimed Palestinian film, which premiered Jan. 17 in New York City, will not be considered, however. It seems that Middle East politics has found its way into a ceremony committed to recognizing excellence in filmmaking.
Divine Intervention, a comedy about the Israeli occupation, has captivated critics and audiences, winning a special jury prize at the Cannes Film Festival and best foreign film at the European Film Awards. The film follows a Palestinian Jerusalemite filmmaker (director Elia Suleiman) and his relationship with his Palestinian West Bank girlfriend. Because she is not allowed into Jerusalem, their relationship consists of meetings at a lot next to a checkpoint. The film, which demonstrates the lunacy that has become everyday life for Palestinians, glosses up its profound messages with comic relief, from the way the attractive stiletto-heeled Palestinian struts past an Israeli checkpoint to the balloon of Yasser Arafat's smiling face that freely floats from the occupied territories into Israel. The academy told the American distributor of Divine Intervention that it's ineligible for Oscar considerations because ''Palestine'' is not a country recognized by its rules. But the academy has accepted entries from Taiwan and Hong Kong, and neither are states. Further, Palestine has had observer status at the United Nations since 1974 and is recognized by more than 115 countries. Sadly, the academy's refusal to consider Divine Intervention shows that it is far from being an impartial, apolitical body. Although Hollywood is no stranger to world events and free speech, controversy at the Oscars should never include such censorship. Of course, the brutality of Israel's occupation wouldn't dissipate if the academy recognized a Palestinian film on its merits. But Palestinians should be encouraged to use cinematography as a peaceful avenue to express their sentiments. ''Cinema is the negation of the notion of nationalism,'' Suleiman told The New York Times. ''Of course, if there's a denial of Palestinianism as a cultural or national entity, then you fight for it. But, in fact, cinema is yearning to cross those boundaries all the time.'' Unfortunately, the motion picture academy seems to feel otherwise. Sherri Muzher is a media analyst in Mason, Mich.
