Palestinian Director Elia Suleiman to Be Honored by Sarajevo Film Festival
variety.comLeo Barraclough International Features Editor The 30th Sarajevo Film Festival will pay tribute to Palestinian director Elia Suleiman in recognition of his “outstanding contribution to the art of film.” The filmmaker will be presented with the Honorary Heart of Sarajevo Award and honored with a retrospective of his selected works in the festival’s “Tribute to” program.
Suleiman was a guest at Sarajevo in 2019, where his film “It Must Be Heaven” was screened in the Open Air program. The film had received the special jury mention at Cannes the same year.
He also served as the president of the jury at Sarajevo in 2016, and was a guest at the festival in 2013. Jovan Marjanović, the festival’s director, said Suleiman’s “universal language of cinema speaks to fundamental human values and emotions: fear and hope, home and homeland.” He added, “With his trademark wit, humor and profound insight, he navigates the complexities of our existence, shedding light on the absurdities of life with unmatched clarity and poignancy, portraying the spirit and identity of Palestine with a unique authorial style.
Now, in the darkest of times in his native land, his work serves as a beacon of understanding, reminding us of the power of storytelling to inspire meaningful dialogue.” Born in 1960 in Nazareth, Suleiman lived in New York from 1981 to 1993.
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