Screening of 'Miral' at the United Nations draws protests from Jewish groups

[bemildred]

Israeli-Palestinian politics often prove polarizing at the United Nations, but rarely does the furor involve Hollywood celebrities and power brokers, a red carpet and a film screening at the world body's own headquarters in New York.

Such was the case Monday night when the U.N. played host to the U.S. premiere of director Julian Schnabel's new film "Miral," which follows a Palestinian girl's relationship with terrorism and Israel after the 1948 war for Israeli independence. The screening was met with protests from Israel's delegation to the U.N. as well as prominent U.S.-based Jewish groups including the American Jewish Committee and the Anti-Defamation League, which were outraged that the world body would open its doors to a film that even its Jewish American distributor, Harvey Weinstein, describes as "pro-Palestinian."

In a letter to the world body, AJC Executive Director David Harris said showing the film in the U.N. General Assembly hall would "only serve to reinforce the already widespread view that Israel simply cannot expect fair treatment in the U.N." In particular, Jewish groups have objected to the film's portrayal of the Israeli army and what they say is a lack of context for some of the soldiers' more extreme actions.

Despite such objections, the unusual event went off as planned, with the gregarious Schnabel walking the carpet in his trademark pajamas paired with a blazer, trench coat and bright red sneakers. His girlfriend, the author and screenwriter Rula Jebreal, whose life story inspired the film, went more formal in an elegant black dress. The duo greeted famous friends such as Josh Brolin, Sean Penn and Robert De Niro, who came out to support the filmmaker whose last movie, "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly," was nominated for four Academy Awards.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/tv/la-et-miral-20110315,0,7988576.story

[Ken Burch]

1. Basically, the "pro-Israeli" types can't handle it

That a American director who happens to be Jewish could possibly make a film that challenges the Likudnik narrative. They can't forgive Julian Schnabel for defying hasbara.

[oberliner]

3. Actually not true at all

The groups in question both state unequivocal support for the showing of the film in movie theatres across the country and neither group has made any mention of the religion of the director.

The concern was just raised over whether the UN General Assembly ought to be sponsoring the showing of the film in that particular venue.

Personally, I think the groups should have stayed out of it, but I also think you are off base on your comments.

[Ken Burch]

6. In the link, the groups objected to the film itself

They said that it didn't show "context" for what the Zionist forces did to Palestinians...You and I both know that, on this issue(and perhaps to some degree for both sides)"context" is code for "we were RIGHT to what we did".

[oberliner]

7. They don't object to the film itself

From the ADL statement:

"Our objections are to the venue and sponsorship of this film."

From the AJC statement:

"No one is challenging the right of viewers to see 'Miral' in theaters or anywhere else they like. The only question here is whether the UN General Assembly Hall is an appropriate place to premiere this particular film and no other, and whether the President of the General Assembly should be sponsoring the showing."

[oberliner]

2. Rula Jebreal is quite a beautiful woman

I wonder if that played any role in inspiring Schnabel to make a movie based on her book.

He even divorced his second wife to start dating Ms. Jebreal during their collaboration.

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/schnabels-true-romance-inspires-tale-of-love-across-cultural-divide-2069274.html?action=Gallery

Movie itself looks to be pretty bad.

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/miral/

Probably these protests will be the best thing that could happen to the film.

[azurnoir]

4. Israel protests UN screening of 'anti-Israel' film

General Assembly President Joseph Deiss personally approved the screening, despite the opposition of other elements within the international organization.

The Israeli delegation to the UN protested the move, calling the movie "anti-Israel," and demanded to cancel the screening.

Israeli sources said it was the first time the General Assembly hall was being used to screen a premiere of a commercial film. They also criticized the decision to promote the movie by inviting representatives of UN delegations and holding a panel after the movie.

The panel is scheduled to include Jebreal, who wrote the script, and Jewish director Schnabel, who was also invited to attend the movie premiere in Israel – but did not even offer to send a representative on his behalf.


http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4041776,00.html

[shaayecanaan]

5. Hopefully the ADL's antics can do for this film what they did for Mel Gibson's movie

because it seems this film will need all the help it can get:-

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/miral/

[oberliner]

8. Have you seen the film?

So Contrived, So False, So Cravenly Seeking Out Approval That It Lacks Impact

http://www.obsessedwithfilm.com/reviews/venice-2010-review-miral-so-contrived-so-false-so-cravenly-seeking-out-approval-that-it-lacks-impact.php

There are some positive reviews out there as well (and many more negatives), but I'm curious to know if you've seen it - and if so, what you thought about it.

If not, why are you hoping it does well?

[shaayecanaan]

9. No, I havent seen it as yet...

But the overall tenor of the reviews I have read is the same as the one you just posted.

Most of those reviews report that the film goes out of its way to be delicate and nuanced and to avoid offending any sensitivities, and therefore tends to lose narrative impact as a result.

In terms of hoping it does well, its makers seem to have their hearts in the right place. And given the slew of Hollywood films that portray Arabs in a negative light one can only hope that there are more films such as this that make an effort to humanise their characters.

[oberliner]

10. Please post your thoughts if you do

I do agree with your points about the way Arabs are portrayed in Hollywood films.

Shameful, really.