New Palestinian film shuns stereotypes
Palestinian filmmaker Najwa Najjar’s latest work, “Eyes of a Thief,” seeks to convey the complexity of Palestinian life under occupation, a far cry from the typical one-dimensional portrayal of Palestinians in Arab cinema.
The common saying that one person’s freedom fighter is another’s terrorist well describes how the world is often divided over the Palestinian resistance.
One of the continuous and often angry arguments between Palestinians and Israelis concerns the form of Palestinian resistance. Israelis showcase cherry-picked acts of Palestinian violence in which Israeli civilians are killed as proof that all Palestinian resistance efforts are criminal and terrorist.
Palestinians often respond, without much success, that armed resistance is an internationally guaranteed right, that reserve soldiers and armed civilian settlers who often vandalize Palestinian property are fair game in a population fighting to rid itself of an illegal occupation that has spanned decades. The argument goes on at regional and international venues, with audiences taking whatever side they are already predisposed to sympathize with.
But while the arguments go on on university campuses and among activists, popular culture has often painted Palestinians along stereotypical lines. To be fair, the stereotyping of Palestinians is not always negative. Palestinians are also often portrayed by their supporters in a heroic light. Watching Arab and pro-Palestinian portrayals of Palestinians, one gets the impression that Palestinians are supermen.
