Hany Abu-Assad was cheering in a crowded square in his hometown of Nazareth, Israel, when Mohammad Assaf — a youth from the southern Gaza Strip — earned overnight stardom by winning “Arab Idol,” the region-wide televised singing contest.
A new generation of Palestinian filmmakers is intent on telling \”the people stories you don\’t hear about\” rather than staying true to form with films charged with political messages such as \”Israel\’s Occupation\” or \”Nakba\” (the great catastrophe, referring to Israel).
The Palestinian film ‘Omar,” directed by Hany Abu-Assad, has just been nominated for an Academy Award in the Foreign Language Film category.
In his riveting new film, \”Paradise Now,\” Palestinian director Hany Abu-Assad paints an ugly picture of Israeli occupation and the harsh consequences he believes flow from it, namely suicide bombers.
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