Director: Elia Suleiman

109min.

Language: Arabic with English subtitles

 

Free Screening Event as part of our Palestinian Film Series

Exploring Elia Suleiman: A Retrospective

Titled “Chronicle of a Present Absentee,” the film, both humorous and poignant, marks the concluding part of a trilogy that includes “Chronicle of a Disappearance” and “Divine Intervention.” It is set within the Israeli Arab community and primarily filmed in locations where writer/director Suleiman’s family once resided.

Drawing from his father’s diaries, his mother’s letters to relatives who fled during the Israeli occupation, and his own memories, the film spans from 1948 to the present day, narrating the story of Suleiman’s family through elegantly stylized vignettes. Playing a role akin to Buster Keaton, Suleiman appears as a silent observer, focusing sharply on the absurdities of life in Nazareth.