The Time That Remains, the Palestine-France co-production in Hebrew and Arabic in which the director plays himself, is about how normal families are affected through years of conflict in the region.
The personal stories are at the forefront throughout, and the film uses a satirical and absurdist tone, making it a stinging comment on the insensitivity of such conflicts towards common people.
Divided into four episodes coinciding with major developments in the Arab-Israeli conflict, the film was inspired by the diaries of Suleiman’s father, who was a resistance fighter in 1948, and also his mother’s letters to family members.
The 109-minute film is set in Nazareth and the sometimes-comic, sometimes-satirical moments present a powerful story with violence always lurking in the background but never dominating the screen, unlike quite a few of the other Palme d’Or contenders this time.
“The film attempts to portray the daily life of those Palestinians who remained in their land and were labelled ‘Israeli-Arabs’, living as a minority in their own homeland,” says Suleiman.
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