Palestine/France | 2019 | 97 mins | Comedy/Drama | Dir: Elia Suleiman
Cast: Elia Suleiman, Tarik Kopty and Kareem Ghneim
Like a modern Jacques Tati with a hint of Buster Keaton, the director, writer, and actor, Elia Suleiman, embodies a silent version of himself, coming up with subtle and ingenious ways to portray the Palestinian ghettoisation. This time, in search of homeliness, Suleiman’s alter ego travels from Nazareth to Europe, making the first stop at picturesque Paris to promote his movie, and then, off he goes to bustling New York City. There, he meets his friend, the actor, producer, and writer, Gael García Bernal, who is eager to lend a hand; however, it seems that his film is not Palestinian enough. But, when confronted with life’s inherent absurdity, what else is there to do but sit back and stare in bewilderment?
Between 2019 and 2021, It Must Be Heaven won six awards and received 17 nominations, including, in 2019, a Palme d’Or (Canne Film Festival) and was the Official Submission from Palestine for Best International Feature Film (US Academy Awards).
Accompanying Short Film: Love At First Sight
UK | 2010 | 12:40 | Comedy Drama Short | Dir: Michael Davies | Cast: John Hurt Phyllidia Law Barry McCarthy | Awards: Nominated British Independent Film Award for Best Short Film.