Miral (2010)

Popularity:

Down 1% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.

Director:

Julian Schnabel

Writers:

Rula Jebreal (scenario)
Rula Jebreal (novel)

Release Date:

18 November 2010 (Germany)

Genre:

Drama | History

Tagline:

Is this the face of a terrorist?

Plot:

A drama centered on an orphaned Palestinian girl growing up in the wake of Arab-Israeli war who finds herself drawn into the conflict. |

Plot Keywords:

Reference To The Rolling Stones | Multiple Time Frames | One Word Title | Jerusalem Israel | Exploding Car

Awards:

4 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Hiam Abbass	...	Hind Husseini
Asma Al Shiukhy	...	Woman Wrapping Body
Neemeh Khalil	...	Woman Wrapping Body
Jamil Khoury	...	Brother Amin (as Jameel Khoury)
Basel Husseini	...	Brother Khalid
Hanna Shammas	...	Husseini Brother
Ibrahim Husseini	...	Husseini Brother
Hazem Said	...	Husseini Brother
Vanessa Redgrave	...	Bertha Spafford
Willem Dafoe	...	Eddie
Makram Khoury	...	Governor Khatib
Wadeeka Khoury	...	Hind's Mother
Virginia Amsis	...	Young Girl at Christmas Party
Ansam Qupti	...	Other Girl at Christmas Party
Fadi Shahen	...	Musician at Christmas Party
Raed Said	...	Musician at Christmas Party
Jamal Said	...	Musician at Christmas Party
Mahmod Debh	...	Musician at Christmas Party
Huda Al Imam	...	Governor's Wife
Butros Copty	...	Older Guest
Jude Amous	...	Zeina
Abdallah El Akal	...	Deir Yassin Boy (as Abdallah El-Ackel)
Miral Hasna	...	Deir Yassin Girl
Murad Shaheen	...	Dair Yassin Crying Child
Fatma El-Akel	...	Deir Yassin Little Girl
Mahmud Abu-Jazi	...	Teacher Mustafa (as Mahmoud Abu Jazi)
Najwa Mubarki	...	Teacher Nawal
Amjad Barakat	...	Hotel Director
Juliano Mer-Khamis	...	Sheikh Saabah (as Juliano Merr Khamis)
Milad Matar	...	Advisor
Alexander Siddig	...	Jamal - Miral's father
Uri Avrahami	...	Israeli Adoption Officer
Yasmine Al Massri	...	Nadia
Fatma Yahia	...	Young Tamam
Shmil Ben Ari	...	Stepfather
Salwa Nakkara	...	Nadia's Mother
Rami Heuberger	...	Belly Dance Club Customer
Dov Navon	...	Yossi
Liron Levo	...	Dan
Liat Ekta	...	Wife on Bus
Ruba Blal	...	Fatima
Tsofit Shpan	...	Woman Prisoner
Muaz Aljubeh	...	Jordanian Soldier
Adel Abou Raya	...	Hospital Official
Ana Akwai	...	Maher
Uri Klauzner	...	Ticket Man
Hai Maor	...	Soldier in Cinema
Pini Mittelman	...	Fatima's Judge
Sanaa Ali	...	Hawwa
Hind Halabi	...	Jamal's Mother
Saeed Gazzawi	...	Wedding Sheik
Ziad Bakri	...	Helmi
Yolanda El Karam	...	Young Miral
Samar Qawasmi	...	Little Leila
Sama Boullata	...	Little Hadil
Sama Abu-Khadir	...	Little Rania
Hala Kurd	...	Little Aziza
Raja'i Khateeb	...	Tourist Guide (as Rajaie Khateeb)
Freida Pinto	...	Miral
Rana Al Qawasmi	...	Leila
Frida Elraheb	...	Hadil
Muataz Welteadi	...	Boy at Refugee
Mohammad Welteadi	...	Rami - Kid at Class
Oz Zehavi	...	Soldier at Refugge Camp
Omar Metwally	...	Hani
Iman Aoun	...	Hani's Mother
Faten Khoury	...	School Secretary
Adnan Tarabshi	...	Hadil's Uncle
Rozeen Bisharat	...	Yasmin
Shredi Jabarin	...	Ali (as Shredy Jabarin)
Ashraf Farah	...	Ashraf
Hanin Halabi	...	Girl on Bus
Roy Gurai	...	Soldier on Bus
Doron Ben-David	...	Soldier on Bus
Zohar Shtrauss	...	Arresting Policeman
Uri Gavriel	...	Interrogating Officer
Ruth Cats	...	Torture Woman
Ami Weinberg	...	Miral's Judge
Yoav Levi	...	Miral's Prosecutor
Munther Fahmi	...	Miral's Lawyer
Rawda	...	Tamam
Doraid Liddawi	...	Samir
Stella Schnabel	...	Lisa
Sharon Alexander	...	Lisa's Father
Firas Abo Alnor	...	Soldier at Check Point
François Abou Salem	...	DNA Doctor (as Francois Abou Salem-Gasper)
Abed Zuabi	...	Man at Funeral (as Abed Zua'bi)
Amit Bar-am	...	Secret Police at Hotel
Ibrahim Firawi	...	Secret Police at Hotel
Vito Schnabel	...	Secret Police at Hotel
Lana Zreik	...	Sara
François-Xavier Decraene	...	French Client
Jawhara Baker	...	Samar Hilal
Anis Nacrour	...	Journalist at American Colony
Nina Burleigh	...	Journalist at American Colony
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Loai Nofi	...	Partier (uncredited)

Directed by
Julian Schnabel

Writing credits
Rula Jebreal		(scenario)
Rula Jebreal		(novel)

Produced by
François-Xavier Decraene	....	executive producer
François-Xavier Decraene	....	supervising line producer
Jon Kilik	....	producer
Tabrez Noorani	....	co-producer
Batan Silva	....	co-producer (as Sebastián Silva)

Cinematography by
Eric Gautier		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Juliette Welfling

Casting by
Yael Aviv

Production Design by
Yoel Herzberg

Art Direction by
Nir Alba

Costume Design by
Walid Mawed

Production Management
Virginia Anderson	....	post-production supervisor
Saar Datner	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ibtisam Ammouri	....	third assistant director
Ehab Bahous	....	third assistant director
Roy Ettinger	....	third assistant director
Maxim Konoplov	....	second assistant director
Enas I. Muthaffar	....	second assistant director
Batan Silva	....	first assistant director (as Sebastián Silva)
Joaquin Silva	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Eran Avidan	....	carpenter
Shron Eagle	....	painter (as Sharon Eagle)
Yair Greenberg	....	carpenter
Bashar Hassuneh	....	props (as Bashar Hasuneh)
Rommi Kisilov	....	painter
Orin Linder	....	painter
Gabriela Marchevich	....	scenic artist
Ilan Nazarian	....	carpenter
Dudi Orion	....	carpenter
Noa Roshovsky	....	painter
Salim Shehade	....	art department assistant

Sound Department
Romain Cadilhac	....	dialogue editor
Robert Fernandez	....	sound re-recording mixer
Dominique Gaborieau	....	sound re-recording mixer
Alexis Jung	....	sound editor
Damien Lazzerini	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Damien Bera)
Benjamin Lecuyer	....	adr engineer
Asher Milo	....	sound mixer
Michel Monier	....	sound consultant: dolby
Simon Poupard	....	sound mix technician
Alon Shapira	....	boom operator
Adam Wolny	....	sound editor
Adam Wolny	....	supervising sound editor

Visual Effects by
Odile Beraud	....	visual effects coordinator
Alain Carsoux	....	visual effects director
Florian Chauvet	....	visual effects coordinator
Jean-Nicolas Costa	....	digital compositor
Séverine De Wever	....	visual effects producer
Stephane Dittoo	....	visual effects supervisor
Stephane Dittoo	....	visual effects
Pacini Kevin	....	visual effects editor
Frank Petit	....	digital compositor
Joel Pinto	....	digital compositor
Elisa Pretta	....	digital compositor
Laurent Ripoll	....	visual effects editor
Christian Simon	....	digital compositor
Jeremy Séguin	....	digital compositor

Stunts
Ilya Farfel	....	stunt performer
Alex Osmolovsky	....	stunt performer
Dima Osmolovsky	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Nicolas Bordier	....	second assistant camera
Aviezer Dasberg	....	gaffer
Mathieu De Montgrand	....	first assistant camera
José Haro	....	photographer
Ezer Ketzev	....	rigging gaffer
Fabienne Octobre	....	focus puller
Adva Shoua	....	clapper loader
Gaby Weismann	....	focus puller

Casting Department
Iris Blumenstein	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Li Alembik	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
Victoria Anderson	....	assistant editor
Serge Anthony	....	laboratory coordinator
Caíque de Souza	....	conform editor
François Dupuy	....	technical manager: digimage
Charles Fréville	....	colorist: dailies
Oded Grober	....	assistant editor
Trevor Joyce	....	digital cinema producer
Isabelle Julien	....	colorist
Margot Meynier	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Rebecca Delannet	....	music supervisor
Astrid Gomez-Montoya	....	music supervisor
Julian Schnabel	....	music supervisor

Other crew
Sharon Abella	....	publicist
Oded Aharon	....	production assistant
Ibtisam Ammouri	....	personal assistant to first assistant director
Georgina Asfour	....	script supervisor
Odile Beraud	....	visual effects assistant accounting coordinator
Laure Blaess	....	production accountant
Milvia Bonacini	....	voice actress: Jawhara Baker
Tony Copti	....	location manager
Rafi Grabovitzki	....	production assistant
Dominique Haidar	....	represented by: Pathé
Gianni Manno	....	titles and credits designer
Guy Raz	....	location manager
Richie Roefaro	....	technical assistant
Jérôme Seydoux	....	presents
Nimrod Slaby	....	production assistant
Mor Tentzer	....	production assistant
Maria Uzelac	....	production coordinator

Thanks
Oren Moverman	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Pathé
• Eran Riklis Productions (as ER Productions)
• Eagle Pictures (co-production)
• India Take One Productions (co-production)
• Canal+ (participation)
• CinéCinéma (participation)

Distributors

• Pathé (2010) (France) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Worldwide Entertainment Group (WEG) (2010) (India) (theatrical)
• A-Film Distribution (2011) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Broadmedia Studios (2011) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Euro Space (2011) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Monopole-Pathé (2010) (Switzerland) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Odeon (2011) (Greece) (theatrical)
• Prokino Filmverleih (2010) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Shaw Organisation (2011) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Weinstein Company, The (2010) (USA) (theatrical)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (2011) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2011) (USA) (DVD)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2011) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Europa Filmes (2010) (Brazil) (all media)
• Film1 (2012) (Netherlands) (TV) (limited)
• Melimedias (2011) (Belgium) (DVD)
• Zon Lusomundo Audiovisuais (2011) (Portugal) (all media)

Other Companies

• Oh! Editions  book publisher: French adaptation
• BoomGen Studios  publicity and marketing consulting
• Digital Media Services (DMS)  digital marketing asset management
• Dolby Laboratories  sound mix
• Mode HQ  post-production
• My Melody  music supervisor
• Studio Line  post-production facilities (as ADR Studios)

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 on appeal for thematic material, and some violent content including a sexual assault

Runtime:

112 min

Country:

France | Israel | Italy | India

Language:

English | Arabic | Hebrew

Color:

Color | Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS | SDDS

Certification:

Germany:12 | Ireland:15A | Japan:PG12 | Netherlands:12 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:NC-16 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | USA:R (certificate #46689) | USA:PG-13 (certificate #46689) | USA:PG-13 (re-rating)

Filming Locations:

Israel

Company:

Pathé

Quotes:

[first lines]
Miral:My name is Miral Hasna. I was Born in 1973. But my story really begins in 1947 with Hind Husseini.

Movie Connections:

Features Repulsion (1965)

Soundtrack:

Flow

A Nutshell Review: Miral

Director Julian Schnabel tackles yet another biographical tale after his Diving Bell and the Butterfly, with a focus shifted to the Middle East conflict, but unlike the typical Hollywood production ranging from all out action like The Kingdom to heavier dramatic fare like Syriana, this film, an Indian-Italian-French-Israeli co-production stops short at passing judgement, opting to tread the middle ground in portraying as objective a viewpoint as possible, and does so through the eyes of the titular character Miral (Freida Pinto) being caught up in the scheme of her environment.

Curiously, this film is based on the novel by Rula Jebreal, a Palestinian journalist, whose book is an almost biographical account of her growing up and formative years, where she got brought up in an orphanage in Jerusalem established by Hind Husseini (Hiam Abbass), whose notable exploits after the 1948 Arab-Israeli War include rescuing orphaned survivors from the Deir Yassin massacre and turning her home into an orphanage. So in essence we get to observe the story of two women caught up in extraordinary circumstances spanning a vast timeline right up to the establishment of the state of Israel and right through to various peace accords that are still trying to bear fruit, and one

The narrative is split into two halves, with the first centered on the tale of Hind Husseini, her sacrifice and achieving of her objective, before having the narrative shift toward that of Miral, clearly the poster girl since Freida Pinto's shot to fame in Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire might mean a lot more people giving this film a chance. Brought to Husseini's orphanage to be raised, we see the teenager getting awakened to the state of affairs of the land claimed by opposing sides, and getting caught between a rock and a hard place, where Husseini's counsel gets weighed against that of the brush of romance with the militant Hani (Omar Metwally), but of course don't come to expect flitting romantic scenes as the more powerful and thought provoking ones far outweigh affairs of the heart.

While the film offered two stories of two independently strong women, somehow it is the lack of a primary central figure that did it in, where it's most unfortunate to have the story quite scattered in its ambitious timeline in trying to condense an extremely complex political situation, no doubt adopting a micro view through the two different perspectives and principles in its leading characters. It sought to contrast viewpoints of those who deem education is the key out of their current plight, against those who wish to stand up and be counted, violence notwithstanding as a means to achieve an end.

Perhaps I was anticipating more, but with an ending quite abrupt, it leaves more questions than those answered and addressed, and perhaps so because it's still an open environment with no clear solutions in sight. Like how the characters have seen milestones set in their lifetime, I wonder if we in ours can eventually see something significantly charted out. The end title was a chilling reminder that it will take quite a while.