Paradise Now Controversy

Israeli parents who have lost children to suicide bombings have petitioned the Academy to drop the film Paradise Now from Sunday's awards competition. Hany Abu-Assad's drama, nominated for Best Foreign Film, explores what drives people to become suicide bombers. The story follows the lives of two amiable slackers and their disturbing transformation into terrorists.

Paradise Now is not new to controversy. The Academy's official website lists the film as from Palestine, which has also drawn Israeli complaints. Paradise Now won the Golden Globe in January and is considered a strong contender in the race. In my review, I wrote that "Abu-Assad makes it possible to understand how a person, driven by desperation, hatred, and shame, might end up committing the most heinous acts. But understanding is not the same as sympathy or forgiveness." [posted by Jürgen]