MovieChat Forums > Yadon ilaheyya (2002) Discussion > Oscar and Divine Intervention

Oscar and Divine Intervention

posted 21 years ago by afodias
13 replies | jump to latest

I have just noticed that "Yadon ilaheyya" has been taken off the competition for the "best international movie" award...and this makes me laugh, a lot!! The jury said that Palestinia is not a country (which is correct, of course). I don't know what are the rules for a movie to be accepted in the tremendous commercial business of Hollywood, but I suppose that it isn´t quality. In some other post about this movie you could read this: "Prize of the Jury in Cannes 2002.....don't know what the jury was thinking about....probably the "politicly correct effect"." Of course this makes me laugh, you can think that this movie isn't great, you might think it stinks!! But never that the Prize in Cannes 2002 is "politicly correct" one...never! It's a fearless affirmation that there is a Palestinian culture, either you like it or not....So, I can only assume that The Jury from Oscar denies this... therefore no longer can you think Oscar is a tribute to great art (could you ever have thought this?) but rather a basic demonstration of human emptiness, and business lucrative objective!

I am not anti-american movies, you can't deny great movies like Apocalypse Now, Memento, Blade Runner, Citizen Kane amongst many others. But it just make me sick to see how stupid Hollywood has became...

[–] sacra 21 years ago

In general, I agree with you.
However, I must say that this movie is VERY boring. Especially the beggining and the end. The only way I was able to appreciate the effort was to think about why many things are like they are in the movie.

I believe the reason the two main characters don't say a word all through the movie is to show that the Palestinian people is voiceless.
I believe that the baloon scene, the girl going through the post scene and other scenes are there to show how ridiculous the situation in Israel and Palestine becomes sometimes.
And I absolutely love the killing the snake scene. I see it as a metaphor for the completely desproportionate violence with which things are taken care of by both sides in this conflict.

I now think that this is like a phylosophical poem or something, which you can enjoy in the right mood. But not a movie!

[–] taliano 21 years ago

this film is all about metaphors. its a metaphor of the palestinian life under israeli rule and the absurdness of the whole situations.
there is barely any dialogue in the film because, i think suleiman wants to viewer to have his own opinion of what is going on. he doesnt want to the tell the people of the situation on the land, he just wants to show the viewer and let him decide on his own.
another thing is that not everything in the film is real. alot is imagination. for example, im sure alot of you figured out the "ninja" scene is his own imagination due to the fact of him getting really pissed after seeing that billboard with the sniper pointed at the palestinians face. i also think that the baloon scene is unreal. either that or the scene where she walks past the checkpoint is unreal. he was just contemplating ways of trying to get his fiancee into jerusalem.
one last note: if stanley kubrick was still alive, he would have loved his movie. kubrick was always interested in expression of mind visually rather than verbally.

[–] shmulik-cohen 21 years ago

You can say all sorts of things about this film, but not Boring!
And to the friend who wrote about Ramallah, It Was at the Begining of this Intifada that Some Middle Aged Israelis where Lynched there, That was before they closed of Arafat in Mukata Compound, Excelant Film -not Entertainment.
Suleiman Co-operated with Israeli's making this film.

[–] LasseFernov 20 years ago

hmm
The movie sucks. Ít should have been a short film.
The story fits 15 minnutes - not an hour.
Thats why its boring

[–] infntebeat 20 years ago

You must not know art when you think you do.

[–] marcela-9 20 years ago

I tell you what I love of this surrealist movie:
-The red balloon scene
-The girl crossing the checkpoint
-The Palestinian playing music in his car for the Israeli guy in the next car(VERY GOOD!)
-The ninja scene (EXCELENT!)

I am not agree with violence, I believe in the God's Judgment .But the ninja scene is almost a dream, a prayer, a deep desire of something like that becoming true. I mean Palestinians beating Israelis, or better, a divine presence punishing Israelis for oppressing Palestinians.

I am going to buy this movie for shure.

[–] 20 years ago

[deleted]

[–] tiana90_9 19 years ago

mate, get an education or something. there is such a thing as local culture in the arab world, palestinian habits and ways of life are miles away from those of algeria or morocco. plus, this is where it gets serious if u had any knowledge of the world we live you'd know that before the CREATION of the state of israel by the united nations the coutry was palestine, its inhabitants were palestinians but is was COLONISED by the british.

[–] JAdams81 19 years ago

well, technically speaking no Palenstenian state has ever officially existed. the area is closer to being called a "nation" now than it ever has been.

That being said, there is a difference of culture between two towns that are 10 miles from one another. Saying the Palenstenians do not have a unique culture is biggoted and ignorant, though I do not expect much more from my fellow americans.

whether the film is to your liking or not is not really an issue, what is an issue though is that it was not allowed to be one of the contenders for a position that, being a winner at Cannes, it had all rights to be considered for. The only logical reason it could have been disallowed from contention is political leanings. Namely that Americans really don't want to consider that Palestenians might be thinking reasoning artistic individuals capable of high art.

Just another sign that the Academy is nothing but a pocket booster, and far from an artistic alliance.

[–] yusef-ghanima 11 years ago

you are ignorant, before 1948 there was an official state of palestin under british mandate, with currency, stamps, and every thing.

[–] keff 19 years ago

tiana90_9 said: "its inhabitants were palestinians [before the CREATION of the state]"

Well, since there were plenty of Jewish inhabitants before their declaration of independance, does that mean the Jews are Palestinians too? Why only the Arabs?

[–] sanfoor 18 years ago

yes in reply to your question, we did have Palestinian Jews before Israel came into being. Judaism is a religion, and the Jewish People are something else. People often get confused and assume Palestinians are only "arabs" - yes thats true... like "french" are "europeans".... but there are palestinian muslims, palestinian jews, and palestinian christians - look at the Samaritans for example - they are all Palestinian and proud to be it, and their religion does not change this fact. Your religion does not reflect upon your nationality.

[–] yusef-ghanima 11 years ago

because the jews are european settlers not palestinians or israelis