12/10/2005

Recently selected by Palestine as their candidate for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar, Paradise Now, an entirely European co-production, will be released on October 15, on 12 screens, by Lucky Red.
The film, by Palestinian Hany Abu-Assad relates story of two friends as they prepare for a suicide mission against Israel for which they have been chosen: the video recording of the “pledge of faith,” the last supper, and the final dramatic moments. Paradise Now came about as a collaboration between the director and Amsterdam-based producer Bero Beyer (Augustus Film), and was co-produced by Lama Films, Razor Film, Lumen Films, Hazazah Film, and Arte France Cinéma, with support from Amnesty International, which presented the film with the Amnesty International Film Prize at the 55th Berlin Film Festival.

In Rome to present Paradise Now, Hany Abu-Assad rejects political interpretations of his film: "My political point of view is obvious: there is a state whose borders are controlled by Israel, which is furthermore responsible for everything that takes place within those borders. However, my film speaks of friendship, and of how our choices are influenced by our environment and by circumstances. I used reality as the backdrop against which react people in conflict with themselves."

(Translated from Italian)