Egypt, S.Arabia step up trade ties through coordination council talks    Egypt reviews progress on $200m World Bank-funded waste management hub    Egypt urges Israel to accept Gaza deal amid intensifying fighting    SCZONE showcases investment opportunities to eight Japanese companies    Egypt, ADIB explore strategic partnership in digital healthcare, investment    SCZONE, Tokyo Metropolitan Government sign MoU on green hydrogen cooperation    Egypt welcomes international efforts for peace in Ukraine    Al-Sisi, Macron reaffirm strategic partnership, coordinate on Gaza crisis    Contact Reports Strong 1H-2025 on Financing, Insurance Gains    Egypt, India's BDR Group in talks to establish biologics, cancer drug facility    AUC graduates first cohort of film industry business certificate    Egyptian pound down vs. US dollar at Monday's close – CBE    Egypt's FM, Palestinian PM visit Rafah crossing to review Gaza aid    Egypt prepares unified stance ahead of COP30 in Brazil    Egypt recovers collection of ancient artefacts from Netherlands    Egypt harvests 315,000 cubic metres of rainwater in Sinai as part of flash flood protection measures    Egypt, Namibia explore closer pharmaceutical cooperation    Fitch Ratings: ASEAN Islamic finance set to surpass $1t by 2026-end    Renowned Egyptian novelist Sonallah Ibrahim dies at 88    Egyptian, Ugandan Presidents open business forum to boost trade    Al-Sisi says any party thinking Egypt will neglect water rights is 'completely mistaken'    Egypt's Sisi warns against unilateral Nile measures, reaffirms Egypt's water security stance    Egypt's Sisi, Uganda's Museveni discuss boosting ties    Egypt, Huawei explore healthcare digital transformation cooperation    Egypt's Sisi, Sudan's Idris discuss strategic ties, stability    Egypt to inaugurate Grand Egyptian Museum on 1 November    Greco-Roman rock-cut tombs unearthed in Egypt's Aswan    Egypt reveals heritage e-training portal    Sisi launches new support initiative for families of war, terrorism victims    Egypt expands e-ticketing to 110 heritage sites, adds self-service kiosks at Saqqara    Palm Hills Squash Open debuts with 48 international stars, $250,000 prize pool    On Sport to broadcast Pan Arab Golf Championship for Juniors and Ladies in Egypt    Golf Festival in Cairo to mark Arab Golf Federation's 50th anniversary    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    A minute of silence for Egyptian sports    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Paradise Now sparks anger on Oscar night
Published in Daily News Egypt on 06 - 03 - 2006

CAIRO: For the Arab world, the stakes were high at this year's Academy Awards. Palestinian director Hany Abu-Assad's controversial film, Paradise Now, has already won Hollywood's second highest honor, the Golden Globe, last month and so many predicted it would walk away with the Oscar last night as well. The Arabic-language film documents 27-hours in the lives of Said and Khaled, two young Palestinian men living in the West Bank as they plot to carry out a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv. The fictional story shows the two men as they are approached by a group of jihadists, and the process of bidding farewell to their family and friends, and to one another. The film has sparked outrage in Israel. A petition containing more than 36,000 signatures has been posted on the internet calling for the revocation of the film's Oscar nomination. The protest was organized by Yossi Zur, an Israeli whose 16-year-old son died in a bus bombing in Haifa exactly three years ago. Hamas, now a major force in the Palestinian government, claimed responsibility for that attack. Palestinian-American peace activist Nonie Darwish delivered the petition on Friday to representatives on the Oscar committee. Though the committee said it was too late to take action against the movie, they never stated whether it would have blocked Paradise Now from entering the race.
"Paradise Now involved Palestinian filming crews and actors, an Israeli producer and German co-producer. The film also received financing from a number of European sources, including the German Film Foundation; the Dutch Film Fund; "Land of Nordrhein-Westphalia of Germany; German-French public television channel Arte and the Council of Europe program Eurimages.
"Double standards are at their peak nowadays, explains dentist and author Alaa Al Aswany. "This is an artistic work. Many people were involved in the making of 'Paradise Now' with directors, actors, crew members ... so you cannot forbid an artistic work.
Since 2000, 521 Israelis were killed in 124 suicide bombings. Abu-Assad has maintained that this movie is in no way meant to glorify the act of killing, but rather exemplifies the desperate measures taken by people under continuous occupation. "This movie is showing the perspective of the people who are living through this; not the point of view of the American media as most of the mainstream movies do, says Ahmed Nour, an Egyptian actor staring in Hany Girgis Fawzy's latest production, Private Relationships. "I support it completely.
"Paradise Now is not the only film to address the Arab-Israeli conflict in this year's Oscars. Two films, Munich and Syriana have also made it to the finals, igniting controversy along the way. Syriana addresses Washington's hands-on dealings with the oil industry of the Persian Gulf. In the film, young Arab men fall prey to a charismatic sheikh and vow to avenge their land from Western occupiers.
Munich, a Steven Spielberg production, talks of the retaliation taken by Israelis against Palestinians following the deadly massacre of 11 Israeli athletes during the 1972 Olympic Games. Spielberg has responded to criticism surrounding his film by saying the movie is not advocating violence; rather, it is a plea for peace.
"In Egypt, I am fighting for freedom of speech, says Al Aswany. "I know freedom of speech is something very precious. But this issue it totally political - it has nothing to do with art.
"This movie is a sign of the world here - we have a situation between Israel and Palestine and between the allies and Iraqis and people have to understand that, says Amr Waked, an Egyptian actor who starred in Syriana. "It's good to shed light on these situations for the American people to see all sides of the problem. The American media does not reflect both sides of the story; they usually only show one side of the story that satisfies the expectations of the government.


Clic here to read the story from its source.