Palestinian Cinema at Beit Zatoun
Chronicles of a Disappearance
by Elia Suleiman

In a series of witty vignettes, some contemplative, others laden with satiric humor and critique, Elia Suleiman expresses his emotions and state of mind as he observes daily life in Palestine. With characteristic dry wit and an eye for the absurd at the heart of the mundane, Chronicle of a Disappearance is a thoughtful, politically nuanced treatment of the routines, rituals, ceremonies, and accidents that punctuate the life of E.S. (played by Elia Suleiman) on his return home from abroad to Palestine. For Suleiman, the film represents "a journey in search of what it means to be Palestinian… a combination of possible truths, transgressing genres and blending fact with fiction to explore the intertwined boundaries of storytelling, history and autobiography." Chronicle of a Disappearance is Suleiman's first feature film. It received international critical acclaim and was shown at the of 1996 Venice Film Festival, where it won Best First Film.

dir. Elia Suleiman DRAMA | 1996 | 88 MIN. Arabic, Hebrew and English (subtitles)

About the Director
Elia Suleiman, born in Nazareth in 1960, is a Palestinian film director and actor. He is best known for the 2002 film Divine Intervention, subtitled A Chronicle of Love and Pain, a modern tragic comedy on living under occupation in Palestine which won the Jury Prize at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival and the International Critics Prize (FIPRESCI), also receiving the Best Foreign Film Prize at the European Awards in Rome. Elia Suleiman's cinematic style is often compared to that of Jacques Tati and Buster Keaton, for its poetic interplay between "burlesque and sobriety".

His latest film, The Time That Remains, competed in the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. Suleiman won the Black Pearl prize for best Middle Eastern narrative film at the Middle Eastern Film Festival in Abu Dhabi 2009. The film won the Critics' Prize from the Argentinean Film Critics Association at Mar del Plata International Film Festival.

About Palestinian Cinema at Beit Zatoun
A monthly series, screening older or lesser known Palestinian films with limited exposure in North America. Usually a single film or possibly a collection of shorter ones, it is the work of a Palestinian filmmaker but also films about Palestine made by others.

Whenever possible there will be introductory remarks about the film, the director or the period. Screenings will be followed by a 15 or 20-minute moderated discussion.

Screening are the last Wednesday of every month (possible exceptions, please check the website). Start time is 7:10 p.m. prompt.

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Need to know:
- Doors open at 6:50
- $5 donation minimum
- Accessible on demand via portable ramp; washrooms not accessible
- Please avoid using strong-scented products due to sensitivities

Tasty refreshments (non-alcoholic) and Zatoun oliveoil+za'atar dipping.