Caught in the Middle
PALESTINIAN ARTIST
NAZARETH — Ali Suliman is a Palestinian actor who played the part of Khaled in the recent film, “Paradise Now,” the only Palestinian film ever to be nominated for an Academy Award.
The film tells the story of two suicide bombers, Said and Khaled — in what may be the last 48 hours of their lives — as they make their way from their West Bank City of Nablus to their target in Tel Aviv.
The film has been both praised and criticized for bringing a human dimension to suicide bombers. Directed and written by Hany Abu-Assad, the production faced daily obstacles from the continuing violence of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict while filming on location in Nablus.
Abu-Assad said in other interviews that barely a day went by when filming wasn’t shut down because of gunfire, explosions or dire warnings from factions concerned about how the film would deal with the subject matter.
Suliman, 28, is Palestinian but an also an Israeli citizen. He has appeared in five other films, but this is his first starring role. I spoke with him by telephone from his home in Nazareth.
Kevin Sites:
Were there were parallels from your own life that you were able to use for the character Khaled in “Paradise Now”?
Ali Suliman:
For me as an actor it was like a puzzle to build the role. The first thing was (the city of) Nablus where we did most of the filming. A lot of things look familiar to me. But as far as the character is concerned, we have similarities — sometimes I don’t think things all the way through, I just do it. Like Khaled — he doesn’t think about this mission deeply, he just goes and does it. Sometimes I take decisions without thinking them through.
KS:
What was it like on location in Nablus?
AS:
The characters are supposed to live in Nablus and we did too while shooting. It’s surrounded by (Israeli) soldiers 24 hours, there are checkpoints everywhere. You are a target for the soldiers all the time. The soldiers go inside and take people, whoever they want. It’s like you’re waiting for your death all the time. Everyone there has someone they’ve lost in the conflict or is in jail. When we made the film, there was no one in Nablus that didn’t know about it.
KS:
You’re Palestinian but also an Israeli Citizen. Where does that leave you in the conflict?
AS:
It’s a big conflict — for me as a human being — I face a big conflict by being Palestinian and Israeli citizen. I’m not Palestinian at all and I’m not Israeli at all. I’m not like a part of this country as a citizen. The country should give citizens support and I don’t get that support. I don’t have the rights to do what I want. As a Palestinian I also don’t have a country. I’m so confused when I go to Arab countries; they look at me like I’m Jewish because I have an Israeli passport.
KS:
Have you ever felt discriminated against because you’re Palestinian, even though you’re also an Israeli citizen?
AS:
I’ve been humiliated by Israel police when I was a student. I went to the mall and I’m surrounded by security and they suspected me as a terrorist. They asked me for my ID, but I’d forgot it at home. So they took me to the security office and I was really scared. I was put in handcuffs. I asked them, “What did I do?” I was humiliated. They started questioning me for six or seven hours until someone came and told them I was an Israeli citizen and they released me.
KS:
What do you think this film sets out to accomplish?
AS:
It’s the first time someone looks at these people (suicide bombers) like human beings — that there’s courage needed to do it. The message is, there is a human being under this wall, they scream about being able to do what they need to do to have life.
KS:
How do you think Jewish Israelis will react to the film?
AS:
A lot of people who didn’t see the film wrote things against it. But those who did see it like the actors and like the issues. It’s not about taking sides. It’s a story about two friends who decide to bomb themselves in Tel Aviv and there is a human story behind the issue. I think the reaction has really been positive (among the Israeli Jewish community).
KS:
Do you think the film in way glorifies the idea of suicide bombers?
AS:
I don’t think so. It’s not about taking sides. There are a lot of things it takes for people to make this step. The occupation shows how bad their lives are and why they choose to do it.
KS:
Can this type of film advance the peace process, or simply highlight the divisions?
AS:
I think the story of these people everywhere in the media in the West is, they think the Palestinian people are born to kill, that they like to kill themselves, but it’s not like that. But everyone has the potential to be like this because of the bad situation in which they live.
