Divine intervention
Suleiman, Elia
Packed with witty visual gags, comic vignettes and moments of spectacular fantasy, the
multiaward winning Divine Intervention is a portrait of the conflict laced with wicked and
subversive humour. Palestinian director Elia Suleiman (Chronicle of a Disappearance) again
plays the central character himself: “E.S.” cares for his ailing father in Jerusalem whilst
conducting an affair with a Palestinian woman living in Ramallah. Barred from moving
between the two cities, the lovers are forced to share their intimate moments in the shadow of
an Israeli army checkpoint, from where they observe the daily feuds between the troops and
civilians. Recalling the comic genius of Jacques Tati and deadpan delivery of Buster Keaton,
Suleiman's film is a passionate and surreal depiction of the political and human situation in
Palestine. Winner, FIPRESCI Prize, Cannes 2002. Winner, Jury Prize, Cannes 2002.