There is a traditional saying among the Galilee villagers, that when an Arab man comes into a fortune he either marries a second wife or acquires a thoroughbred Arabian horse. Makram Khouri, Juliano Mer Khamis Bacem . What I fear most for you is myself.''. . Of course, this is not to say that the political reality under Israeli civilian rule is rosy or that there is no national oppression of Palestinians within the Green Line. At the Roy and Niuta Titus Theater 1, Museum of Modern Art, 11 West 53d Street, as part of the New Directors/New Films series. Unlike more easily palatable films, it forces the audience to decide whether to separate politics and art, whether to accept the film on its creator's terms or not. It has already won a European prize and is likely to win more; but it is unlikely to be shown even to an enlightened Arab audience in Nazareth, Khleifi’s home town. The percentage of Approved Tomatometer Critics who have given this movie a positive review. ''Wedding in Galilee'' will be shown at the Museum of Modern Art as part of the New Directors/New Films festival tonight at 8:30 and tomorrow at 1 P.M. PAST VS. |. In the event, the plot is foiled, due both to the surveillance of plain-clothes Shin-Beth agents and, more importantly, to the intervention of a leading villager, the bridegroom’s uncle, who had opposed the invitation of the military governor. The groom berates his father for … The latter is forced to ask the Israeli military governor to lift the curfew so that the wedding may be held. The problem is the strict Israeli curfew would definitely shorten the celebration and ruin the festivities. Youssef Abou Warda The Mother . The film’s political focus is an attempt by a few young men from the village to assassinate the military governor in revenge for the torture one of their comrades. First, a general one: the women are, as usual, portrayed at the centre of sensuality, with lingering semi-pornographic shots of the naked female body. (Yet we ourselves should be aware of the crucial difference between those former rulers and the present-day Israelis: the latter are always accompanied by land surveyors, in preparation for land confiscation.). . Running time: 113 minutes. Nazih Akleh, See the article in its original context from. A female Israeli soldier is overcome by heat and taken inside by the Arab women; she soon discards her drab khaki uniform, seduced by their bright robes and jewels, in a scene that says more about Mr. Khleifi's view of women than it does about Arab or Israeli notions of femininity. . But the land issue, for example, which is at the heart of the villagers’ concern, receives only a passing mention in the film, which appears to gloss over the real issues affecting the daily life of the Galilee Palestinians. Yet, in its handling of the politics of a Galilee village, I found the film very simplistic, one-dimensional, trivializing, and its characters stereotypical. The Galilean Wedding is a lively and moving re-creation of how the people of Jesus’ time celebrated a wedding and how He constantly pointed to it as He taught. And the story proceeds inexorably towards a climax ‒ the consummation of the marriage ‒ in a gripping fashion. Regal . To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. Sign up here. This film has no rating. White walls gleam against a wide, sun-baked landscape, and we can almost feel the hot wind blow during the wedding feast, as tradition mingles with its discontents. Michel Khleifi’s “Wedding in Galilee” ‒ film review by Dr Nur-eldeen Masalha. Occasionally, Mr. Khleifi reminds us that young village men are plotting to kill the Israeli wedding guests. Indeed, his children seem to pay little attention to him. The latter is forced to ask the Israeli military governor to lift the curfew so that the wedding may be held. The village women ritually bathe and dress the bride, who will ride a blue-black horse through winding streets that look preserved from biblical times. . Through a variety of subplots and set mostly over a single eventful day and night, "Wedding in Galilee" serves as an excellent allegory of the entire Israeli/Arab situation. Verified reviews are considered more trustworthy by fellow moviegoers. They have also engaged in various forms of organized resistance during the last 40 years. The percentage of users who rated this 3.5 stars or higher. PRESENT, THE PALESTINIAN WAY WEDDING IN GALILEE, directed by Michel Khleifi; screenplay (in Arabic, with English subtitles) by Mr. Khleifi; photography by Walther van den Ende; edited by Marie Castro Vasquez; music by Jean-Marie Senia; production companies: Marisa Films (Belgium)/LPA (France); released by Kino International. On the contrary, Abu-‘Adel, though not lacking in authority, is portrayed as an amiable, rather compromising and in many ways tolerant father. By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy Two points must be made about Khleifi’s treatment of this subject. In this rich, nuanced setting, which Walther van den Ende has photographed with shocking brightness, the mukhtar's flirtatious teen-aged daughter wears jeans, and schemes to escape her old-fashioned life.