Chronicles of a Disappearance

Elia Suleiman became the first Palestinian award winner at Cannes with 'Divine Intervention' (2002), but had already found his own distinctive humorous voice with his autobiographical debut film of 1996. The director himself plays a Palestinian filmmaker who takes a moment to see his lost homeland. The film starts in a documentary rental focusing on the people and creatures of Nazareth, where we meet, among others, two souvenir sellers who make a living from filling 'holy water' into bottles - directly from the tap! The second part of the film is set in Jerusalem and is more political in its form. Suleiman's dry, understated humour has led to comparisons with Jacques Tati, but beneath the baroque surface the director also gets to take the conflict in Palestine under serious consideration - without providing ready-knitted solutions.

Director: Elia Suleiman
Starring: Elia Suleiman, Ola Tabari, Nazira Suleiman, Fuad Suleiman
Country/year: Israel, Palestine, France, Belgium, 1996
Running time: 88 min.
Formato: 35mm
Language: Swedish subtitles
Age limit: Allowed for children over 15

Part of the series: Back to 1996
Cinemateket turns 30 — we turn back the clock and invite you on a time trip back to 1996. Because in addition to being the year we opened the doors of Cinemateket in Gothersgade 55, 1996 was also a fabulous film year.