Film

An open letter to the Toronto International Film Festival

by Haitham Sabbah September 12, 2009

As members of the Canadian and international film, culture and media arts communities, we are deeply disturbed by the Toronto International Film Festival’s decision to host a celebratory spotlight on Tel Aviv. We protest that TIFF, whether intentionally or not, has become complicit in the Israeli propaganda machine. In 2008, the Israeli government and Canadian [...]

Read the full article →

Planet of The Arabs!

by Haitham Sabbah October 8, 2006

Official selection of the Sundance Film Festival 2005 A trailer-esque montage spectacle of Hollywood’s relentless vilification and dehumanization of Arabs and Muslims. Inspired by the book “Reel Bad Arabs” by Dr. Jack Shaheen. Out of 1000 films that have Arab & Muslim characters (from the year 1896 to 2000) 12 were positive depictions, 52 were [...]

Read the full article →

The ‘Wall of Hate’ team to produce a film on Lebanon

by Haitham Sabbah July 22, 2006

This movie is about the wall of hate that “Israel” created to isolate the real people off their land; the Palestinian people… You can find more about the film from The Wall of Hate web site, here… Now, Chromovision is planning the production of a new documentary film to highlight the atrocities that have been [...]

Read the full article →

Iraq: The Women’s Story

by Haitham Sabbah June 2, 2006

The invasion of Iraq heralded promises of freedom from tyranny and equal rights for the women of Iraq. But three years on, the reality of everyday life for women inside Iraq is a different story. By Zeena Ahmed This Channel4 Dispatches film provides a compelling account of life inside Iraq that is rarely seen on [...]

Read the full article →

Paradise Now, Wins!

by Haitham Sabbah March 6, 2006

They say: “If you made a bad film, you made it alone. If you made a good film, you all made it.” And that’s what “Paradise now” did. A good film by all means! The film didn’t win the Oscar, but won more than the academy award. Won the hearts of the millions who saw [...]

Read the full article →

Israel lobbies against “Palestine” tag at Oscars

by Haitham Sabbah February 13, 2006

Israeli and U.S. diplomats and Jewish groups are lobbying organisers of next month’s Academy Awards not to present a nominated film (Paradise Now) about Palestinian bombers as coming from Palestine, an Israeli newspaper reports. While the tag remains on the academy’s Web site, the diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said he expected the film [...]

Read the full article →

Iran ‘crackdown on foreign films’

by Haitham Sabbah October 22, 2005

Iran’s authorities have banned imported films promoting secularism, feminism, unethical behaviour, drug abuse, violence or alcoholism. In other words, everything!

Read the full article →

Paradise Now @ The 43rd New York Film Festival

by Haitham Sabbah October 20, 2005

Paradise Now is the story of two Palestinian childhood friends who have been recruited for a major operation in Tel Aviv. It centers on what is presumably their final day on earth. They cannot utter a word of their plans to their families. The following day, the two are sent to the border. The bombs [...]

Read the full article →

The Embassy is in the Building

by Haitham Sabbah August 7, 2005

Albawaba reports that Egyptian Parliament members decided to permit the screening of the film “Al Safara Fil Amara” (The Embassy in the Building), starring comedian actor Adel Imam, despite a request by the Israeli Ambassador to Egypt to ban the film. Good for themQ! But what is the story? Why did the Ambassador ask to [...]

Read the full article →