Divine Intervention

2002 1h 32m AR

👍

6.6

SOLID

★6.6TMDB · 57

DramaRomanceComedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Santa Claus tries to outrun a gang of knife-wielding youth. It's one of several vignettes of Palestinian life in Israel - in a neighborhood in Nazareth and at Al-Ram checkpoint in East Jerusalem. Most of the stories are droll, some absurd, one is mythic and fanciful; few words are spoken. A man who goes through his mail methodically each morning has a heart attack. His son visits him in the hospital. The son regularly meets a woman at Al-Ram; they sit in a car, hands caressing. Once, she defies Israeli guards at the checkpoint; later, ninja-like, she takes on soldiers at a target range. A red balloon floats free overhead. Neighbors toss garbage over walls. Life goes on until it doesn't.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Elia Suleiman
E.S.
Nayef Fahoum Daher
Father
Manal Khader
The Woman
George Ibrahim
Santa Claus
Jamel Daher
Jamal
Amer Daher
Auni
Lutuf Nouasser
Neighbor with American van
Riad Masarweh
Abu Basil

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Elia Suleiman
Writers: Elia Suleiman
Languages: Arabic, English, Hebrew
Countries: France, Morocco, Germany, Netherlands, Palestinian Territory

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 24 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 3 languages: Arabic, English, Hebrew.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 5 countries: France, Morocco, Germany, Netherlands, Palestinian Territory.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Elia Suleiman, shot by Marc-André Batigne. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Véronique Lange shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Elia Suleiman and Nayef Fahoum Daher and Manal Khader carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0274428 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 57 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Elia Suleiman directs. Marc-André Batigne behind the camera. Véronique Lange cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in France, Morocco, Germany, Netherlands, Palestinian Territory. Dialogue in Arabic, English, Hebrew.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 24 years ago.
2Dialogue crosses 3 languages: Arabic, English, Hebrew.
3International production across 5 countries: France, Morocco, Germany, Netherlands, Palestinian Territory.
4Directed by Elia Suleiman, shot by Marc-André Batigne. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Editor Véronique Lange shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Elia Suleiman and Nayef Fahoum Daher and Manal Khader carry the top of the cast.
7IMDB entry: tt0274428 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 57 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.