'Cinema Jenin,' a West Bank tragedy

Haaretz Israel Daily News
A German-Palestinian documentary film chronicles the attempt to build apolitical cinema in the hyperpolitical environment of the so-called 'capital of suicide bombers.'


Interior of Cinema Jenin: Hamas did not oppose project, but it ran into serious trouble over politics, finance and other issues. Photo by Alex Bakri

The headlines two years ago were big and optimistic. In early August 2010, after 23 years during which it accumulated dust and layer upon layer of pigeon droppings, the only movie theater in the Palestinian city of Jenin was renewed and opened.

That was a real cause for celebration. Television networks from all over the world arrived to record the event, which made headlines in the Israeli media too. Inside the luxurious theater, equipped with a new and advanced sound system, hundreds of guests sank into the comfortable seats. The reception in the city that had been dubbed "the capital of the suicide bombers" was elegant and festive. Everyone kept repeating the names of the famous people, Mick Jagger and Roger Waters, for example, who supported the theater and made its revival possible. A light breeze of optimism, the sign of a healthy society eager for life, was suddenly blowing from the West Bank.

That is the moment that concludes the documentary film "Cinema Jenin," to be broadcast today on the Yes Docu satellite channel, which chronicles the years and exhausting preparations that led up to the opening of the cinema. The end of the film is a moment of pure joy, total satisfaction for those who dreamed and believed and saw their work come to fruition. A genuine happy ending, the kind that is worthy of American blockbusters, which was preceded by three years of difficulty and a goal that most of the time seemed to be receding, all of which was well told in the film. Sometimes, the film makes clear, the life force and good will can overcome every obstacle.

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