Le sel de la mer

very week script , politically oriented in a cheap direct way . unjustified overwhelmed Nostalgia ( can anyone feels crazy homesick to a place he never lived in and just heard about it from the news and the grandparent's stories ?? ) , actually the writer didn't know how could he tell the story so he simply stuffed his script with many symbols and boring repeated nostalgic ale motives to the extend that that rhythm was terribly agonizing in the last 3rd of the film . the acting was really good specially Suheir Hammad who was acting in a very authentic style . the starting sequence was strong and succeeded to arouse Tension which was unfortunately totally lost .

Cogent, well written, well acted, and well directed.

Filming was excellent. The film moved in the correct tempo with ample economy and control .

Story was of an important matter that is often suppressed.

Much more poetic than polemic.

Strong female lead and direction was not self-righteously or overbearingly so.

Creative and multifaceted script.

More than adequate character development.

Balanced presentation between societal and personal.

Nice lighting.

It's true. This movie lacks nuance. And it may be true that it delivers its message rather harshly and caustically. It may even be considered more as a propaganda rather than an introspective film about trampled rights to a homeland.

But if this story is based on Soraya Tahini's actual experience when she visited the West Bank, then the viewer must take notice and, at least, listen up.

This is her story and that of Emad whom she befriended in Ramallah. Who could deny her feelings when she enters her grandfather's home in Jaffa for the first time? Is she wrong to say out loud that it was stolen from them? For Emad, visiting his family's hometown near Hebron is gut-wrenching knowing that it was the scene of a massacre of Palestinian civilians during the war of '48. In fact, the film pays tribute to the victims of that tragedy.

I thought of how the film will end after that scene in ad Dawayima where Soraya and Emad had to leave as it has been transformed into a historical park.

Suheir Hammad and Saleh Bakri bring us to those places that are important to the Palestinian identity and psyche. They succeed as actors in weaving a compelling narrative about what things are and what could be in this troubled land. They pose questions with no easy answers.

i have watched this film, during Cairo's film festival for year 2008 it was very hard to get in and see it because there was a huge crowd trying to watch it anyway i struggled and i got in and it was really worth it the story,so natural,the acting ..the scenery..the whole thing brought tears into my eyes and OR eally wished this film wouldn't end.. then i met with the actress and the director, whom informed us that the film was shot in real location by real people,even soldiers ..etc and they struggled and went through hardship in-order to bring this film into light with their own budget i encourage all of you to go and watch it or rent it..it is worth it and portrays a vivid image of the situation in the occupied lands.. well done

Cinema, in my eyes, is an art. The best pieces of art in almost any medium are subjective pieces of work they allow you to understand what the artist's feelings, emotion, messages etc. are. However when inducing politics into art one should be very objective. It is impossible to set out a rational film on a political issue if the movie is made in a subjective manner. 'Salt of this Sea' is one such movie where a strive has been made to critique a very delicate situation in Isreal/Palestine, however it is done in such a narrow scope, and at times, disgustingly sentimental way. The mere fact that in the movie, the main character feels such a strong connection with a place she has never been before, is almost laughable, as is the demonising of almost all Isreali characters throughout the film. There can be no doubt that some of the plot and events in the film have merit, but there is an overwhelming bias toward one side of a very complex and challenging issue, that it does no justice to history of the story it is trying to tell.