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 .

Jacir paints with precise strokes, each hue reflecting the truth in a way that entertains and enlightens. She creates a virtual travelogue of dispossession in the form of an outrage wrapped in a tragedy; paradoxically revealed in a beautiful film. It takes us beyond the fair and balanced view of history that each side has a point and reminds us that we are all on the same side and that is the only point that matters. The film forces us to see what is plain and in doing so makes clear the choices we make and the consequences of those choices. We are the central characters in this human drama.

The film unfolds easily in a style that is both free and rebellious, through the reflection of a bruised and suffocated Palestine. The courage of the heroine, her unwavering strength, faith and rejection of injustice mark a path where everything is but difficult and her refusal to bury her dreams contrast starkly with the reality imposed on the characters. Salt of the Sea is a deeply layered film, a film that is quasi-militant and seeped in passion, but devoid of hatred of any kind. Salt of the Sea has proved to be a great discovery, a film that is both courageous and necessary. And as a bonus, a sublime find: Suheir Hammad - both beautiful and vibrant as she moves through a variety of emotions.

Salt of This Sea compels us to make a choice between the cold comfort of indifference or the knowledge that we can make a difference. The turnstiles were installed by us in the land and in our hearts. Salt of This Sea reminds us that we have the power to tear those turnstiles down.

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.

A friend of ours who is of Palestinian descent invited us to see this movie at Berkeley's California theater and didn't know what to expect. The movie was presented by the Arab Film Festival to a sold out crowd. This movie took us on an eye opening journey of how horribly Palestinians refugees are treated by the settlers. During painful moments in the movie, the audience around me would sigh and groan at what was happening. I thought "It's just a movie" and then realized it is not just a movie. It is what is truly happening now, today! Though I am not Palestinian, I would remember stories my Mother told me about how the Japanese would treat Filipinos during the war. The minimization of an entire culture of people by invaders who believed they had right to her country. I truly recommend every American who has not read or heard of the history of Palistine see this movie. I hope to see more movies about Palistine in hopes we can learn more and understand what is the truth.

The current situation with Gaza makes Annemarie Jacir's "Milh Hadha al-Bahr" ("Salt of This Sea" in English) all the more relevant. The protagonist is a Brooklyn woman of Palestinian descent who goes to her ancestral land for the first time. Subjected to a humiliating search in the Israeli airport, she eventually makes her way to Ramallah.

Jacir's movie - which was Palestine's submission to the 81st Academy Awards as nominee for Best Foreign Language Film- isn't about political arguments. It's about what everyone in the area feels like they've gone through. Basically, it seeks to find everyone's humanity while still making clear the humiliation that the Palestinians suffer on a daily basis (and how plenty of Israelis refuse to acknowledge this).

This isn't the sort of movie that you'd watch to understand the situation there in detail, but it still gives a good feeling of things. It could be a double bill with Julian Schnabel's "Miral". I recommend it.