Movie Review

Paradise Now In Search of an Alternative to Violence

Two , in suits, sneak through ’s Tal Palter-Palman fence. a r a d i s e N o w Suha believes that suicide bombers do not promote P , Palestinian liberation, and that on the contrary, they a Golden provide Israel with the legitimacy to continue the occu- G l o b a l pation and win international public support. But will Award win- Suha be able to convince Said and Khaled to reconsider ner for Best carrying out their mission? F o r e i g n In 1987, the Palestinians carried out an almost entire- L a n g u a g e ly nonviolent Intifada (or “shaking off”), achieving more Film, is an concrete accomplishments than the Al Aqsa Intifada. o u t s t a n d - Nonviolence enabled the Palestinians to prove beyond ing motion doubt that they have been the victims and that Israel picture pre- Checkpoints and a divided land. is an oppressive force. Suicide attacks and terrorist senting the organizations reversed this achievement. Nonviolence, d i l e m m a s as used by many liberation movements, is a greater faced by Palestinians who wish to liberate their people and stronger force than the Israeli army or any other and establish a Palestinian state. It is a must-see movie, army for that matter. Additionally, nonviolence works whether you support or object to suicide bombing as a in the long-term, which is never the case with violence. method to promote the Palestinian cause. Gandhi once wrote, “I object to violence because when The director of “Paradise Now” presents three days it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the in the lives of Said and Khaled, young Palestinians from evil it does is permanent.” The achievements of non- , who volunteer to carry out a suicide bombing violence are positive and promote no additional pain mission. The Israeli military occupation affects their and suffering that give birth to more violence. In the lives every day. This includes humiliation at check- past, nonviolent followers achieved freedom and rights points, military raids on their city, lack of access to in their struggles… to name a few, Gandhi’s Indian education, and limited economic opportunities. Seeing movement, the Anti-Apartheid Movement in South no positive future, Khaled and Said feel obligated to Africa, the American Civil Rights Movement, and the resist and die for the Palestinian cause. Serbian “Otpor” Resistance that overthew Slobodan On the way to carry out the mission with explosives Milošević. Within the past few years Palestinians have attached to their bodies, Said and Khaled go through begun nonviolent resistance to Israel’s wall/barrier that an emotional and psychological journey that chal- confiscates Palestinian farmland, covered in the Winter lenges their belief system, way of life, and political 2006 and Summer 2006 issues of PeacePower. views. However, the director of the film provides no The description of the film ends, “Paradise Now easy answers to the Palestinians’ dilemmas or to the lays bare the humanity and the horror for all to see, question of the morality and effectiveness of suicide to ponder…and perhaps to change.” May this change attacks. be toward nonviolent resistance and a nonviolent and In the film, Said and Khaled touch on the question peaceful future. of alternative methods to terrorist attacks that can be effective in achieving the Palestinian cause. However, Suggested Reading: the main alternative to terrorist acts — nonviolent “Bridging Conflict Resolution and Human Rights: Lessons from struggle — is never mentioned in the film. Suha, a Israel/Palestine” by Mohammed Abu-Nimer and Edy Kaufman in: female Palestinian human rights worker, represents the Human Rights and Conflict Resolution. Julie Mertus and Jeff Helsing segment of Palestinians who oppose suicide attacks. (Eds.) Washington DC: USIP April 2006

32 PEACEPOWER Spring 2006 www.calpeacepower.org