Omar (2013)

Directed by: Hany Abu-Assad
Country: Palestine

Movie Review: “Omar”, the first fully financed film of Palestinian cinema industry, combines skillfully a painful love story and tragedy of war. Hany Abu-Assad, mostly known by the powerful drama/thriller “Paradise Now” dated from 2005, has here a great return after a despicable experience in American soil with “The Courier” in 2012. Omar is deeply committed in the fight for freedom of Palestine, side by side with two childhood friends, Tarek and Amjad. While preparing his first operation against Israeli troops, Omar swap love letters with Tarek’s sister, Nadia, with whom he intends to marry. Things eventually go wrong and Omar is arrested and tricked by Israeli troops, being forced to work as an informant in exchange of freedom. With Nadia in mind, other deceptions will come up, leaving the restless Omar completely alone in a blind alley with no other option than solve the problems by himself. Debutants Adam Bakri and Leem Lubany were very convincing in their performances, complementing Abu-Assad’s assertive direction, in a riveting film that presented traumatized romance, compelling espionage, and striking chases over narrow passages. Balance was maintained throughout all the film, making “Omar” a guaranteed option among other choices of the same subject matter. The film is nominated for best foreign language film by the Academy, and won the special jury prize of ‘Un Certain Regard’ section at Cannes.