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ERA
Did you know
Released 7 years ago.
MoodPlayr · trivia#01
It Must Be Heaven
2019 1h 43m FR
👍
6.5
SOLID
🔥
94%
CERTIFIED FRESH
👌
68
METACRITIC
⭐
6.9
IMDB
★6.5TMDB · 183🍅94%Rotten Tomatoes●68Metacritic★6.9IMDB · 5,991
ComedyDrama
Synopsis
Spoiler shield
Filmmaker Elia Suleiman travels to different cities and finds unexpected parallels to his homeland of Palestine.
“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”
Cast
Elia Suleiman
E.S.
Ali Suliman
Mad Man
Gael García Bernal
Gael García Bernal
Stephen McHattie
Tarot Reader
Kwasi Songui
New York Taxi Driver
Grégoire Colin
Man in the Metro
Holden Wong
Policeman 6
Alain Dahan
Immigration Officer
Credits
Behind the camera
- Director
- Elia Suleiman
- Writers
- Elia Suleiman
- Languages
- English, Arabic, Spanish, French, Hebrew
- Countries
- France, Germany, Qatar, Canada, Turkey, Luxembourg, Lebanon
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 🍿
2 / 7
WORLD
Did you know
Dialogue crosses 5 languages: English, Arabic, Spanish, French, Hebrew.
MoodPlayr · trivia#02
3 / 7
WORLD
Did you know
International production across 7 countries: France, Germany, Qatar, Canada, Turkey, Luxembourg, Lebanon.
MoodPlayr · trivia#03
4 / 7
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Directed by Elia Suleiman, shot by Sofian El Fani. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
MoodPlayr · trivia#04
5 / 7
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 / 7
CAST
Did you know
Elia Suleiman and Ali Suliman and Gael García Bernal carry the top of the cast.
MoodPlayr · trivia#06
7 / 7
WILD
Did you know
IMDB entry: tt8359842 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
MoodPlayr · trivia#07
Cinephile deep dive
The take
Elia Suleiman directs. Sofian El Fani behind the camera. Véronique Lange cuts. Produced in France, Germany, Qatar, Canada, Turkey, Luxembourg, Lebanon. Dialogue in English, Arabic, Spanish, French, Hebrew.
Trivia
Things worth knowing
- 1Released 7 years ago.
- 2Dialogue crosses 5 languages: English, Arabic, Spanish, French, Hebrew.
- 3International production across 7 countries: France, Germany, Qatar, Canada, Turkey, Luxembourg, Lebanon.
- 4Directed by Elia Suleiman, shot by Sofian El Fani. 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 Ali Suliman and Gael García Bernal carry the top of the cast.
- 7IMDB entry: tt8359842 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
- 8Released under 24 different titles around the world.
The technical file
- Cinematography
- Sofian El Fani
- Editing
- Véronique Lange
- VFX supervisor
- Emilien Lazaron
- Runtime
- 103 min · 1h 43m
- Aspect ratio (typical)
- 1.37:1 (Academy)
- Status
- Released
- Original language
- FR
- Rotten Tomatoes
- 94% 🍅 Fresh
- Metacritic
- 68/100
- IMDB rating
- 6.9/10 · 5,991 votes
Awards
6 wins & 18 nominations total
- Lumière Award for Best International Co-Production
Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.
Also by
Elia Suleiman
Stills · wallpapers
Selected frames
Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.
Trailers & featurettes
Watch the pieces
Community reviews
What people are saying
- SWITCH.★ 8/10
Filled with humour, pathos, eerie poetry and some of the driest slapstick you'll ever see, the endearing message of 'It Must Be Heaven' is that people are kooky all over the world, even if some countries offer their own unique brands of zaniness. - Jake Watt Read Jake's full article... https://www.maketheswitch.com.au/article/review-it-must-be-heaven-a-lyrical-and-absurdist-trip-around-the-world
Production companies
Who made it
Rectangle Productions
FR
- NA
Nazira Films
FR
Pallas Film
DE
- ZE
Zeyno Film
TR
- PO
Possibles Média
CA
DFI
QA
ZDF/Arte
DE
TRT
TR
- CN
CN3 Productions
FR
Wild Bunch
FR
Schortcut Films
LB
- MA
Maison 4:3
Key crew
- Set DecorationMaha Haj
- ProducerMichel Merkt
- SoundJohannes Doberenz
- EditorVéronique Lange
- Costume DesignerAlexia Crisp-Jones
- ProducerÉdouard Weil
- ProducerLaurine Pelassy
- ProducerThanassis Karathanos
- ProducerMartin Hampel
- ProducerZeynep Ozbatur Atakan
- ProducerSerge Noël
- ColoristPeter Bernaers
- CastingJuna Suleiman
- DecoratorCaroline Adler
- CastingRichard Rousseau
- Production ManagerSerge Catoire
- Production ManagerÉric Chabot
- Production ManagerMichel Croteau
- First Assistant DirectorJeremy Peter Allen
- First Assistant DirectorBarbara Canale
- Costume DesignerEric Poirier
- Second Assistant DirectorReem Jubran
- Second Assistant DirectorJeanne Tassy
- Third Assistant DirectorMarylou Weber
Themes & keywords
What it's about, really
- palestine
Release history · US
When it landed
- Premiere2019-10-09· Chicago International Film Festival
- Digital2025-12-10· Letterboxd Video Store
Also known as
International titles
- Vom Gießen des ZitronenbaumsDE
- 導演先生的完美假期TW
- O Paraíso Deve Ser AquiBR
- O Paraíso, ProvavelmentePT
- De Repente, el ParaísoAR
- De Repente, el ParaísoMX
- De Repente, el ParaísoES
- Должно быть, это райRU
- 天国にちがいないJP
- It Must Be HeavenAU
- Vom Gießen des ZitronenbaumsAT
- It Must Be HeavenCA
- Ο Παράδεισος έπεσε στη ΓηGR
- A mennyországnak kell lennieHU
- Il Paradiso ProbabilmenteIT
