Arabic

Discussion Leader: Hanadi Al-Samman (Associate Professor, MESALC)

Movie Title:  الزمن الباقي, The Time that Remains (2009)

Description: Actor, screenwriter, and director Elia Suleiman presents a handful of autobiographical short stories that offer a witty but thoughtful perspective on the place of Palestinians in Israel (and his own role in the nation) in this comedy drama. Inspired by the journals kept by Suleiman's father, the first episode takes place in 1948, as the Arab resistance movement begins to crumble, though Fuad Suleiman (Saleh Bakri) is determined to keep up the fight. By 1970, Fuad has lost his idealism and believes Palestine is destined to live in Israel's shadow, while his son Elia (Zuhair Abu Hanna) is being punished for calling the United States colonialists before the teacher. A few years later, Elia (Ayman Espanioli) has a brush with more powerful authorities, who attempt to toss him out of Israel on a minor offense. Finally, Elia (Elia Suleiman) returns home to look after his elderly mother (Samar Qudha Tanus) and discovers how little has changed, as many of his old friends have been warming the same barstools since he left.

The IWL Spring Film Series is hosted by the Institute of World Languages. All films are free and subtitled in English. Screenings occur on Wednesday evenings from 6:30pm-9pm.