Palestinian Director SUHA ARRAF’s controversial Debut Film
‘VILLA TOUMA’ will be premiered at the Venice Festival, Today
‘VILLA TOUMA’, by Israel-based Palestine film-maker SUHA ARRAF, is the film that will be in the news, when it’s premiered at the Venice Film Festival, TODAY.
Suha is the script-writer of much-acclaimed films like ‘Syrian Bride’ and ‘Lemon Tree’ ,which were screened at many festivals, and where she worked in close collaboration with Israeli film-maker Eran Riklis.
‘Villa Touma’ is her debut directorial film, where the Haifa-based Palestinian-Israeli film-maker got funds from the Israel Film Fund, to make the movie.
When the film got selected to many festivals and was classified as a ‘Palestine’ film, the Israel Culture Ministry protested, and ordered that it be called an ‘Israel film, as the funding came from Israel.
Suha refused, calling it totally a ‘Palestine’ film .
“ From the day I was born I know of my Palestinian identity. I carry an Israeli Identity card, a piece of laminated paper, because I was born into this country-“ she told this writer, in an exclusive email interview, before she left for Venice.
Suha stated that she suffered a ‘witch-hunt’ from the Govt, after she refused, facing even a ban to Gaza, and death-threats.
The Israel Govt ordered that she return the $500,000, that she was given to make the film.
So, Suha opted not to have a ‘Country-name’ for her film.
The result is that Villa Touma has been selected to be screened at more than 12 festivals of the world, including the Toronto Festival, next week, without a country-name, which is unprecedented !
“ The identity of a film, lies with its director” stated the dynamic director “ By stating that it has ‘No country’, the film reflects the situation of me and my people, who are refugees in their own country.”
Ironically, the film itself is a soft, quiet moving human drama, about three aristocratic Christian unmarried sisters who live in isolation at their family home, until an orphan-niece comes to stay with them, and changes their lives. The sisters are played by Palestinian actresses , while the crew of the film are Israeli, in an admirable cinematic collaboration.
“ I expected that the film would get noticed as a piece of cinematic art, and not a political storm!” stated Suha
After the ‘political storm’, the Venice, Toronto, and other film festivals will no gauge the ‘cinematic art’ of the film.
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