52 Films by Women Vol 3. 5. IN BETWEEN (Bar Bahar) (Director: Maysaloun Hamoud)
The following review was written and originally published in 2017. Palestinian cinema is a problematic concept. The resources for it are all channelled through Israel. Palestinian films are not officially eligible for the Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award because they do not come from a recognised state. Yet Palestinian filmmakers exist. They have stories to tell and periodically their films are released in cinemas outside Israel-Palestine. Yet can we entirely trust these stories? Do they offer a version of reality designed, covertly or overtly, to deny the Palestinian State, to discredit the idea as un-Islamic? In applauding Palestinian cinema, are we contributing to its end? Palestinian writer-director Maysaloun Hamoud’s feature debut, In Between ( Bar Bahar ) has much to recommend it: vivid characters, issues that transcend geographic specificity and a celebration of female friendship. Just don’t mention the state! At one point, a character decides that she’s ha...