Palestinian Film Secured Consensus of Cannes Fest Critics

The reactions of the international critics and the French press to the Palestinian film Intervention Divine by Elia Suleiman, which participates in the formal contest of Cannes International Film Festival, surfaced Wednesday.  

Those with least enthusiasm said that amid the dullness of the festival the film Intervention Divine emerged to spread some action and love for the cinema. French Film Magazine’s critics who belong to various critic orientations, put the film in the second category nominated to win the Palm D’or award after the film All or Nothing by Mike Leigh.  

As for critics of the American Moving Picture, they ranked it number 1. Liberación put it on its front page while Le Monde affirmed it.  

However, it is usually difficult to say that critic calculations at festivals match with the calculations of the jury. At this point we should ask conservatively this question: will Cannes Festival’s Palm D’or this time go to Palestine? To be more specific, will it go to Elia Suleiman for his film Divine Intervention? 

During the first days of the festival many said the festival would hand out an award to be shared by the Palestinian director Elia Suleiman and the Israeli dissident director Amos Gitai. After Gitai’s Kedma was screened the enthusiasm faded away although the film was acclaimed. But after Suleiman’s Intervention Divine was screened things have changed with fingers pointing at it and at Palestine.  

Will the Palestinian director make what every Arab cinematic has been dreaming for a long time come true? – Albawaba.com