Cheap Wedding in Galilee (Video) (Michel Khleifi) Price

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Customer Reviews of Wedding in Galilee

"cup final" is much better
i agree with the previous reviewer. this movie portrayed the palestinians very negatively. The israeli military was made to look like they were tourists in the West Bank not an occupying power that constantly raids homes and humiliate the Palestinians on the daily basis. the movie that i would mostly recommed is "cup final". i think that it was the best foriegn movie i ever seen.

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A very gross and negative portrayal of the Palestinians
This film focuses on only the Palestinians and their way of life. It portrays the Palestinian culture as ugly and full of wierd practices. It shows the Israeli soldiers as very cooperative and understanding to the Palestinians though at the same time maintaining a somewhat authoritarian air. On the contrary it shows the Palestinians as hateful and hostile to the Israelis, as if they hate them just for the sake of hating. Some of the vulgar nude scenes make the Palestinians look even more inhuman and 'different in wierd ways'.

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Gripping Contrast of Arab-Israeli and Male-Female Cultures
One of the best foreign films I've ever seen, Wedding is also perhaps the only Israeli-made film that is sympathetic to Arabs. In both Hebrew and Arabic Khleifi tells the story of a Palestinian man during the Israeli occupation who wishes to have a normal, large wedding for his daughter, and is granted that permission as long as the Israeli military governor can come as the guest of honor. What is wonderful is this film doesn't follow an easy path in which every one suddenly gets along. It presents the true animosity and difficulties in the relationships between Israelis and Palestinians: the fear that rules Israeli lives, and the constant control the Palestinians are placed under. And yet there are moments when both sides can also see each other as human. The Israeli soldiers see simply a family desiring to celebrate a life boundary event, and there is great compassionate expression in the care for a female Israeli soldier.

There is also a very interesting subtext of gender dynamics within Arabic and Islamic culture. How do men and women relate to each other in the traditional manner during an occupation? The Arab dynamic is contrasted with the more relaxed gender interaction of the Israelis. While there is some unfortunate brief full nudity, it adds to a very interesting moment exploring the cultural value of a broken hymen and what this shows of the power relationships inherent in a culture where a man can gain honor but a woman can only lose hers. The bride finds a way to reverse this through following the cultural dictates *and* gaining control of her own body. I encourage everyone to view this movie to see how she accomplishes this, and to understand how these two very different and very valuable cultures interact in this time of turmoil.