Caught in the Middle
Q&A: 'Paradise Now' actor lives between two worlds, but is a part of neither.
By Kevin Sites, Tue Feb 14, 3:42 PM ET
*Note: In keeping with our mission, the Hot Zone is putting a human face on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We're profiling doctors, victims of the violence, journalists and artists -- one from each side. In focusing more on the human picture than the political one, we aim to present a clearer portrayal of the scope of the conflict.
PALESTINIAN ARTIST
NAZARETH -- Ali Suliman is a Palestinian actor who played the part of Khaled in the recent film, "Paradise Now," the only Palestinian film ever to be nominated for an Academy Award.
The film tells the story of two suicide bombers, Said and Khaled -- in what may be the last 48 hours of their lives -- as they make their way from their West Bank city of Nablus to their target in Tel Aviv.
The film has been both praised and criticized for bringing a human dimension to suicide bombers. Directed and written by Hany Abu-Assad, the production faced daily obstacles from the continuing violence of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict while filming on location in Nablus.
Abu-Assad said in other interviews that barely a day went by when filming wasn't shut down because of gunfire, explosions or dire warnings from factions concerned about how the film would deal with the subject matter.
At one point, the locations manager was kidnapped and was not released until Abu-Assad was able to get Yassir Arafat to intercede.
There was plenty of tension on the set as well. For one scene, a real Palestinian faction involved in suicide attacks watched while the production filmed Ali Suliman making his "martyr's video," a goodbye speech before his mission.
The scene called for humor and mistakes -- the video camera in the scene breaks down -- and the filmmakers worried how the faction would respond. Overall, they accepted it as realistic, except for the way Suliman held the gun -- which was actually borrowed from them.
Suliman, 28, is Palestinian but an also an Israeli citizen. He has appeared in five other films, but this is his first starring role. I spoke with him by telephone from his home in Nazareth.
Kevin Sites:
Were there were parallels from your own life that you were able to use for the character Khaled in "Paradise Now"?
Ali Suliman:
For me as an actor it was like a puzzle to build the role. The first thing was (the city of) Nablus where we did most of the filming. A lot of things look familiar to me. But as far as the character is concerned, we have similarities -- sometimes I don't think things all the way through, I just do it. Like Khaled -- he doesn't think about this mission deeply, he just goes and does it. Sometimes I take decisions without thinking them through.
KS:
What was it like on location in Nablus?
AS:
The characters are supposed to live in Nablus and we did too while shooting. It's surrounded by (Israeli) soldiers 24 hours, there are checkpoints everywhere. You are a target for the soldiers all the time. The soldiers go inside and take people, whoever they want. It's like you're waiting for your death all the time. Everyone there has someone they've lost in the conflict or is in jail. When we made the film, there was no one in Nablus that didn't know about it.
KS:
Tell me what the shooting was like.
AS:
We were shooting a scene at night. It was so quiet but suddenly we started to hear a lot of explosions. We were sitting on the balcony of the hotel and the bombing kept going all night until 10 a.m. the next morning. And all that night we hid under the bed, because we weren't sure if all of Nablus was going to be destroyed. We found out the next day that soldiers were trying to capture someone and had surrounded a building and just kept bombing it.
There was another day when they bombed a car really near our location and we had to stop filming because it was too dangerous, both [because of] the Israeli army and the [local] organizations. Two weeks went by before we could start shooting again.
KS:
Did that make you feel the conflict more deeply, understand it better?
AS:
It helped me to live the character, not to act it. If I did this character without having lived it like that, it wouldn't have been as real.
KS:
You're Palestinian but also an Israeli Citizen. Where does that leave you in the conflict?
AS:
It's a big conflict -- for me as a human being -- I face a big conflict by being Palestinian and Israeli citizen. I'm not Palestinian at all and I'm not Israeli at all. I'm not like a part of this country as a citizen. The country should give citizens support and I don't get that support. I don't have the rights to do what I want. As a Palestinian I also don't have a country. I'm so confused when I go to Arab countries; they look at me like I'm Jewish because I have an Israeli passport.
KS:
Have you ever felt discriminated against because you're Palestinian, even though you're also an Israeli citizen?
AS:
I've been humiliated by
Israel police when I was a student. I went to the mall and I'm surrounded by security and they suspected me as a terrorist. They asked me for my ID, but I'd forgot it at home. So they took me to the security office and I was really scared. I was put in handcuffs. I asked them, "What did I do?" I was humiliated. They started questioning me for six or seven hours until someone came and told them I was an Israeli citizen and they released me.
KS:
What do you think this film sets out to accomplish?
AS:
It's the first time someone looks at these people (suicide bombers) like human beings -- that there's courage needed to do it. The message is, there is a human being under this wall, they scream about being able to do what they need to do to have life.
KS:
How do you think Jewish Israelis will react to the film?
AS:
A lot of people who didn't see the film wrote things against it. But those who did see it like the actors and like the issues. It's not about taking sides. It's a story about two friends who decide to bomb themselves in Tel Aviv and there is a human story behind the issue. I think the reaction has really been positive (among the Israeli Jewish community).
KS:
Do you think the film in way glorifies the idea of suicide bombers?
AS:
I don't think so. It's not about taking sides. There are a lot of things it takes for people to make this step. The occupation shows how bad their lives are and why they choose to do it.
KS:
Has the success of the film changed you? Do your family and friends react to you differently?
AS:
It's hasn't changed my life. There are a lot of friends that liked it and a lot that didn't like it. Every person has their own opinion, but it's made people think. That's the good thing.
KS:
Can this type of film advance the peace process, or simply highlight the divisions?
AS:
I think the story of these people everywhere in the media in the West is, they think the Palestinian people are born to kill, that they like to kill themselves, but it's not like that. But everyone has the potential to be like this because of the bad situation in which they live.
KS:
What's your feeling on the Academy Award Nomination? Will you go?
AS:
I didn't expect it. But now we are nominated for the Oscar -- it's a huge expectation. We will definitely go.
KS:
What's next for you -- any dreams of going to Hollywood?
AS:
Everyone doing this work dreams of going to Hollywood. This is my first film as a main actor. I've done several television films but only small roles. I also do other theatre. I've been working as an actor professionally since 1995.
When we went to the Golden Globes in Los Angeles, I met with some people and we discussed a few projects, but I can't really say much about them. But when you have a film like Paradise Now, it becomes like a calling card for you.
Next: Israeli Journalist
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