Ticket to Jerusalem (2002)

Director:

Rashid Masharawi

Writer:

Rashid Masharawi (writer)

Release Date:

29 August 2002 (Netherlands)

Genre:

Drama

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Gassan Abbas	...	Jaber
Areen Omari	...	Sana
George Ibrahim
Reem Ilo	...	Rabab
Imad Farageen
Naja Abu al-Hejah

Runtime:

Canada:85 min (Toronto International Film Festival)

Country:

Netherlands | Palestine | France | Australia

Language:

Arabic

Color:

Color

Certification:

Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud)

Company:

Argus Film Produktie

A Palestinian movie projectionist on a way to a screening in Jerusalem

The plot of the movie is in fact rather simple: A palestinian movie projectionist travels from camp to camp to show movies to the children. Movies are his life, he lives for cinema and it is always a drama when a projector fails or a new lamp is needed. One day he meets a school teacher who wants to arrange a show in Jerusalem, but Palestinians are not allowed to enter the city, let alone with cinema equipment. In the end he smuggles the equipment and the show takes place...

I went to see the film at our local festival - not because I was attracted by the plot but to get a glimpse of what everyday life is like in the palestinian autonomy regions. And it is in this field where the film does its best job: The story is indeed not very complex and technically (lighting...) the movie is not a masterpiece, but you do get an insight in family live and day-to-day affairs of the people living in Ramallah - and yes, these things do exist despite they never make it to the news. Crossing military checkpoints everyday on the way to work, the hassle to get hold of a lamp for a 16mm projector, bombings, water-pipe shops, economical crisis in the occupied and autonomous areas, Israeli settlers occupying houses, and still normal people getting by - all these things are shown in a non-spectacular fashion. Which makes the film so interesting...