엘리아 술레이만 감독의 영화에서 드러나는 이스라엘-팔레스타인 분쟁과 역사: <신의 간섭>, <팔레스타인>, <여기가 천국>을 중심으로

Abstract

This study aims to analyze how the history of the conflict between Israel and Palestine is depicted in films such as “Divine Intervention,” “The Time That Remains,” and “It Must Be Heaven,” by Elia Suleiman, one of the new generation of Israeli-Palestinian directors who emerged in the 1980s and were active in the 1990s. While films about Israel and Palestine have been produced in various forms, most of them are either entertainment films or works by American directors unrelated to the conflict, often focusing on limited keywords such as refugees or war when addressing Palestine. However, this study focuses on analyzing the historical consciousness of the director and the narrative space conveyed through films by Palestinian Elia Suleiman, who has direct or indirect experience of Palestine’s history and conflict. The focal points of the Israel-Palestine conflict include the territorial issue of Palestine and the problem of fragmented Palestinian identity. The former is symbolized by barriers representing territorial separation and boundaries, signifying discrimination and oppression against Palestinians. This is metaphorically depicted in films through emphasis on spatial division and boundaries. The issue of identity is revealed through fragmented narrative development in the films. Without dramatic structures, dialogues, or situations, the films simply portray the daily lives and wars of Palestinians monotonously. Suleiman’s distinctive characteristics and expressions in his films intend not to deliver moral lessons such as the tragedy or pain of war, but rather to enable audiences to perceive historical experiences and reality itself through the medium of film.