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.

• 
  Elia Suleiman

• 
  Elia Suleiman
  E.S.
• 
  Nayef Fahoum Daher
  Father
• 
  Manal Khader
  The Woman
• 
  George Ibrahim
  Santa Claus
• 
  Jamel Daher
  Jamal
• 
  Amer Daher
  Auni
• 
  Lutuf Nouasser
  Neighbor with American van
• 
  Riad Masarweh
  Abu Basil
• 
  Bassem Loulou
  Abu Amer
• 
  Salwa Nakkara
  Adla
• 
  Naaman Jarjoura
  Uncle
• 
  Rana Nashashibi
  Um Elias
• 
  Salman Natour
  Friend
• 
  Fares Hakim
  Bus-stop Shopkeeper
• 
  Khalil Jarjoura
  Number 6 Man
• 
  Hamada Shamout
  Basil
• 
  David Belle
  Marksman 1
• 
  Nazira Suleiman
  Mother