Dir. Elia Suleiman / 1999 / Experimental / 16 mins
Cyber Palestine is a parable about a modern-day Mary and Joseph, two Palestinian returnees living in Gaza, and their tribulations with the Israeli occupation. The film was commissioned by the Palestinian National Authority’s Bethlehem 2000 Project as part of the millennium commemorations in Bethlehem.
A young Palestinian girl will do whatever it takes to buy a birthday cake. Eleven year-old MARIAM begs her mother for the extra money she needs to buy a cake at the local bakery. Her mother begrudgingly relents, but when Mariam arrives at the bakery, she realizes that she still doesn't have enough. Determined to get the cake, she sets out to brave the obstacles and land some cash. What begins as a simple trip to the bakery turns into a journey that depicts not only the subtle tensions of a politically charged environment, but also illustrates the grief that can result from growing up under occupation.
Three young boys want to make a film in a village without cameras. They ride their donkey to the separation wall and are in luck as the place is flooded with surveillance cameras. When an army jeep approaches they wonder if they will finally get their hands on their footage.
Esam, a young Arab war refugee who lives in Tel Aviv, makes his living as a male prostitute. His physical pleasure, which makes him forget his hunger, reminds him constantly of his childhood in his home village. Inspired by the novel For Bread Alone by Mohammad Shukry.
