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Foreign Land, the film that Israel's Cultural Ministry doesn't want you to see. Photo courtesy of filmmaker Shlomi Eldar

Controversial Israeli film “Foreign Land” in U.S. in March

Posted on February 11, 2018February 11, 2018 By rayhanania No Comments on Controversial Israeli film “Foreign Land” in U.S. in March
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Controversial Israeli film “Foreign Land” in U.S. in March

Israeli officials denounce the film and promote censorship, urging Israelis not to view it, show it or support it, which means everyone should see this documentary

[Updated]

The film tells how Israeli society slips into extremism from the personal viewpoint of an Arab actor and a Jewish journalist that search for place they could call home.

Early this week the Israeli Minister of Culture, MK Miri Regev, said at the opening of the weekly government session that the film “slanders Israel” and that no public television channel should buy or broadcast it. The film will be broadcast by “Kan” – the state run public Israeli television channel.

Israel's anti-Arab Cultural Minister Miri Regev who encourages censorship int he film industry in Israel. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
Israel’s anti-Arab Cultural Minister Miri Regev who encourages censorship int he film industry in Israel. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

The film director, Shlomi Eldar is an award winning journalist that for the past two decades has covered the Palestinian Authority for Israel’s leading Television stations. He responded to Regev’s accusation saying that, “Foreign Land” is a documentary film, and for the past five years I filmed reality, real people in real life. To be afraid of a camera means to be afraid of the truth”.

Foreign Land, the film that Israel's Cultural Ministry doesn't want you to see. Photo courtesy of  filmmaker Shlomi Eldar
Foreign Land, the film that Israel’s Cultural Ministry doesn’t want you to see. Photo courtesy of filmmaker Shlomi Eldar

This is not the first time Minister Regev has launched an attack on the Israeli film industry. Just a few months ago Regev said that the movie “Foxtrot” by Shmulik Maoz is a “disgrace” that “tarnishes the reputation of the Israeli army”. However, this is the first time Regev called an Israeli broadcast channel not to air a film made by an Israeli film maker and already slotted for broadcast.

The film has won the “best documentary” award at the prestigious Haifa Film Festival. However, it was never screened outside of Israel. The movie’s first premier in North America will be next month in the Miami International Film Festival on 3/11/2018.

Foreign Land, the film that Israel's Cultural Ministry doesn't want you to see. Photo courtesy of  filmmaker Shlomi Eldar
Foreign Land, the film that Israel’s Cultural Ministry doesn’t want you to see. Photo courtesy of filmmaker Shlomi Eldar

The Film:
Gassan Abbas and Shlomi Eldar were both at a crossroads. Abbas was once an Israeli sit-com star, while Eldar was an Arab Affairs correspondent for the national news. Things changed: Abbas, a Palestinian, is no longer getting roles, while Eldar’s reportage is ushered to the margins of the daily news. Where does life take these men now?

Eldar’s first documentary was the impossibly moving “Precious Life,” which screened at the Festival in 2011. His follow-up is only stronger, wiser and more personal. Foreign Land tracks the mid-life detours of two extraordinary men, placing emphasis on their encounter with someone who lost everything to Israel’s ongoing conflict yet refuses to succumb to hate. This is an incisive and important film about taking distance to see things more clearly, and knowing when it’s time to start afresh.

Credits:
Director: Shlomi Eldar
Producer: Ehud Bleiberg, Yoav Ze’evi
Music: Gilad Benamram
Cinematographer: Shlomi Eldar
Editor: Halil Efrat

Here is a promo video trailer for the film:

newswire info
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rayhanania
rayhanania
Op-Ed writer, author, radio host, podcaster at The Arab Daily News
Ray Hanania is an award-winning columnist, author & former Chicago City Hall reporter (1977-1992). A veteran who served during the Vietnam War and the recipient of four SPJ Peter Lisagor Awards for column writing, Hanania writes weekly opinion columns on mainstream American & Chicagoland topics for the Southwest News-Herald, Des Plaines Valley News, the Regional News, The Reporter Newspapers, and Suburban Chicagoland.  

His award winning columns can be found at www.HANANIA.COM Subscribe FREE today

Hanania also writes about Middle East issues for the Arab News, and The Arab Daily News criticizing government policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.

Email Ray Hanania at [email protected].

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