LEKHA SHANKAR

                       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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