Canticle of the stones = Cantique des pierres [Widescreen]

Using a cinema verite format, Palestinian director, Michel Khleifi (Wedding in Galilee 1987, Tale of the three jewels 1994, Forbidden marriages in the Holy Land 1995) juxtaposes a fictional story of rekindled love with the confronting reality of violence and despair in the streets of occupied Palestine. The two lovers, now in their forties, have been separated for over 15 years after he was arrested and imprisoned by the Israelis for his part in the Palestinian Resistance and she, bitter and disappointed, decided to immigrate to America. On her arrival back to Jerusalem to study the Intifada’s impact on Palestinian society she discovers that he has been released from prison and it is against this background of resistance and repression that the two once again find love. This is a powerful film, combining fiction and reality through the use of poetic dialogue intertwined with the harsh and violent images of the occupation and resistance and in Khleifi’s own words…”By mixing elements of reality with a fictional love-story, my intention was to oppose the perception of the “Other” as a dispensable abstraction and to give expression to the pain and torment through which Palestinians were living”. Highly acclaimed, winner of two international awards and official selection for the 1990 Cannes Film Festival. Cinematography by Raymond Fromont. In Arabic with English subtitles.