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Left-wing forum pays homage to actor Mohammed Bakri
Hoping he left controversy around 'Jenin, Jenin' film behind him, Bakri is honored by members of Hagada Hasmalit leftist club, says living in Israel means paying heavy price ‘whether you’re Jewish or Arab’
Yoav Birenberg
The radical Left is awakening. Hagada Hasmalit - Alternative Cultural Center (The Left Bank) is holding a tribute event this coming Sunday for director and actor Mohammed Bakri, in which his autobiographical film, “The Last Decade of My Life” will be screened.
| 'Heavy Price' |
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| Reservists to receive compensation for 'Jenin Jenin' screening / Yoram Yarkoni |
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Tel Aviv, Jerusalem cinematheques to pay NIS 40,000 to five IDF reservists who claimed screening of contentious documentary about Operation Defensive Shield in West Bank town offended them |
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Among the participants are filmmaker and journalist Gal Ochovsky, theater director Itzik Weingerten, MK Dov Khenin (Hadash), poet Shimrit Or, singer Chani Livneh, actor Yossi Werzanski and musician Harold Rubin. The center’s artistic director is Yoav Goldring.
“I believe the ‘Jenin, Jenin’ affair is behind me by now,” Bakri said. “The court rejected the five soldiers’ petition last month, and as long as they won’t appeal to the High Court (of Justice), which I don’t believe they will, this marks the end of the story.
“The verdict neither bothers me nor calms me. This struggle and ambivalence is part of what living here (in Israel)
is about. You pay a heavy price for everything you do here and it doesn’t matter whether you’re Jewish or Arab.”
Does it make you want to give up?
“I will never give up, but continue to fight for everything in my own way, until justice prevails. For now, justice is far off and since I am not a politician, I will go on trying to bring about change and fight using cinema and theater.”
Bakri is slated to appear in two upcoming films by Palestinian directors Elia Suleiman and Michel Khalifa. Bakri placed his theater career on hold for now: “I don’t want to do theater at the moment. It’s not that I don’t like theater, but I don’t have time for it. It’s a matter of priorities. But if a good offer comes along I will consider it.”
Will make a film with your son Saleh?
“Inshallah (God willing.) He’s a great actor and we’ll both be happy to. He just came back from a festival in New Delhi with two awards; the jury’s award and the critics’ award for his the film, ‘Salt of this Sea,’ directed by Anna-marie Jacir and I’m very proud of him.”
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