Divine Intervention
Santa Claus tries to outrun a gang of knife-wielding youth. It's one of several vignettes of Palestinian life in Israel - in a neighborhood in Nazareth and at Al-Ram checkpoint in East Jerusalem. Most of the stories are droll, some absurd, one is mythic and fanciful; few words are spoken. A man who goes through his mail methodically each morning has a heart attack. His son visits him in the hospital. The son regularly meets a woman at Al-Ram; they sit in a car, hands caressing. Once, she defies Israeli guards at the checkpoint; later, ninja-like, she takes on soldiers at a target range. A red balloon floats free overhead. Neighbors toss garbage over walls. Life goes on until it doesn't.
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Cast
18 people
Elia Suleiman
E.S.
Known for
It Must Be Heaven
The Time That Remains
Nayef Fahoum Daher
Father
No other roles listed
Manal Khader
The Woman
Also in
Everyday Is a Holiday
The Ugly One
George Ibrahim
Santa Claus
Also in
Haifa
Ticket to Jerusalem
Jamel Daher
Jamal
Known for
Paradise Now
Amer Daher
Auni
No other roles listed
Lutuf Nouasser
Neighbor with American van
Known for
Paradise Now
Hansel and Gretel
Riad Masarweh
Abu Basil
No other roles listed
Bassem Loulou
Abu Amer
Also in
Man Without a Cell Phone
Under the Same Sun
Salwa Nakkara
Adla
Also in
Junction 48
Inshallah a Boy
Naaman Jarjoura
Uncle
No other roles listed
Rana Nashashibi
Um Elias
No other roles listed
Elia Suleiman Director · Marc-André Batigne Cinematographer Véronique Lange Editor
United States release July 12, 2005 · Produced in France, Morocco, Germany, Netherlands, Palestinian Territories · Languages Arabic, English, Hebrew
Production
Ognon Pictures
Production
ARTE France Cinéma
Production
Gimages Films
Production
Soread-2M
Production
Lichtblick Film
Production
Hubert Bals Fund
Production
Filmstiftung Nordrhein-Westfalen
Production
Gimages
Production
Lichtblick Film- und Fernsehproduktion (I)
Production
Ness Communication & Productions Ltd.
Production
France · Morocco · Germany · Netherlands · Palestinian Territories
Produced in
Languages
Original title
يد إلهية
Original language
Arabic
Spoken on screen
Arabic · English · Hebrew
Release dates
France · May 19, 2002
Premiere · Cannes Film Festival
France · October 2, 2002
Theatrical
United States · July 12, 2005
Physical · DVD
United States
October 7, 2002 · Premiere · New York Film Festival
Czechia
March 13, 2003 · Theatrical
Greece
April 11, 2003 · Theatrical
November 19, 2003 · Physical · DVD
Hungary
December 11, 2003 · Digital
Ireland
January 17, 2003 · Digital
Israel
March 13, 2003 · Theatrical
Japan
April 26, 2003 · Digital
Poland
October 9, 2003 · Digital
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Some details come from TheTVDB.