The Attack

[This review, on purpose, tries NOT to reveal much from the plot]
From tolerance through empathy, compassion and understanding… a lot of (liberal) words are used to allow “the other side” to remain “other”; the question, though, behind this film’s urgency is whether it is possible TO TRULY STAND INSIDE SOMEONE ELSE’S SHOES, however opposite that perspective may be.
Possibly then will we have a chance to emerge from the solipsistic universe of knowing-what-we-know, and finally for SOME CHANGE TO TAKE PLACE.
Both the filmmaker and the writer of the international bestseller behind this film have gone out on a limb for this to happen [yet in an emblematic manner]:

• Yasmina Khadra/Mohammed Moulessehoul, a noted writer who escaped with his life from the fundamentalism of Algeria not too long ago, often writes about those who hold different views from his: “You’ve interpreted the world according to your convenience, you define the universe and the world as you have arranged it and you do not know that there is another reality. It doesn’t conform to the idea you have of the world.” – from an interview in The Guardian.
• Lebanese-born Ziad Doueiri’s film, The Attack, using some Israeli actors, was partly filmed in Israel, and despite its numerous international prizes, the Lebanese government has refused to be represented by this film. In addition, the film has been banned in 22 Arab countries and by the Cairo-based Arab League. “The ban is bullshit because nobody gives a shit about the Arab League,” says Doueiri, “a bogus, insignificant organization that never did anything and can never get their shit together or stand in unison. The Syrian government is doing a lot more atrocities than Israel did in 50 years, and is anybody complaining or boycotting Syrian film? Of course not. Israel remains the big taboo, the big evil in the Middle East, which is ridiculous.” – from an interview in The Hollywood Reporter.

Palestinians… Israelis… a normal life is pitted against that of a terrorist and the viewer gets caught in the middle.
Pro-Israel? Pro-Palestine? One is reminded of two of Robert Frost’s wise words: Thinking isn’t agreeing or disagreeing. That’s voting.  And for the risk taken by the authors… of No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader.
The characters are overall a bit too emblematic but IF you are willing to grow (and don’t mind the unavoidable disturbance), go see The Attack/L’Attentat, a film that has no answers, just (vital) questions.
Produced by Rachid Bouchareb.

FYI
–  Le site de Yasmina Khadra (in French)
–  Ziad is currently developing Affaires étrangeres/Foreign Affairs, (again) co-written by Joelle Touma, who co-wrote The Attack and Lila Says, and starring Gérard Depardieu. Actor/producer and Academy Award nominee Rachid Bouchareb’s Paris-based company Tessalit and 3B Productions’ Jean Bréhat are producing. The film centers on a retired French diplomat (Depardieu) who is secretly sent by the U.S. government to negotiate an agreement between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization for the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

TO BE WATCHED AFTER WATCHING THE FILM – Better experience the film FIRST!

With Richard Peña from the Lincoln Center Film Society:

Zia Doueiri at Telluride:

At the San Sebastian Festival with three of the actors, Ali Suliman, Ramzi Maqdisi and Karim Saleh: