It is difficult to watch Oslo without feeling doleful throughout. The film, which will premiere on HBO Max in the US on Saturday, recounts the back-channel negotiations between the Palestine Liberation Organisation and Israel that led to the signing of the Oslo I Accord in September 1993.
It was adapted from the Tony Award-winning play by J T Rogers, who also wrote the screenplay for the film, and was directed by The King and I Tony Award winner Bartlett Sher, who directed the Broadway production of Oslo.
Oslo is being released on the heels of one of the most violent flare-ups of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in recent years.
The events in East Jerusalem's Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood and the Israeli bombardment of Gaza, which left more than 200 dead and almost 2,000 injured, have been a grim reminder that the plight of the Palestinians has only exacerbated in the years since the Oslo Accords were signed.
As the film traces the tremulous advancements of the Oslo negotiations, you'll find it near impossible to celebrate its minute victories. Every successful meeting, handshake or establishment of common ground is thwarted with the sad realisation that the accords did not bring about the peace the political characters were hoping for.
You don’t need to dive into history books to know why the Oslo Accords were a failure. The persistent and illegal expansion of Israeli settlements into the West Bank and other Palestinian territories are ample proof.
Even now, after a shaky ceasefire has been implemented, Gazans are struggling to find a semblance of a normal life in the landscape of ruin left in the wake of the Israeli airstrikes. Many are also unable to find proper medical care in Gaza, which has been under an active blockade since 2007 after Hamas took control.
The Oslo Accords were a divisive topic from the beginning. Several Arab and Palestinian intellectuals recognised the agreement's imbalance immediately. Edward Said, a Palestinian-American academic, in his October 1993 article The Morning After, wrote: "Let us call the agreement by its real name: an instrument of Palestinian surrender, a Palestinian Versailles.
“What emerges from such scrutiny is a deal that is more flawed and, for most of the Palestinian people, more unfavourably weighted than many had first supposed.”
The accords also had its detractors in Israel. Many Israelis saw the agreement as a threat to the country’s security and it was an extremist who opposed the accords’ terms that assassinated Yitzhak Rabin, prime minister of Israel, in 1995. Five years later, negotiations at the Camp David summit failed and the second Intifada broke out.
Oslo briefly touches upon some of these events in its final few minutes. As such, it offers no illusions that the accords were a success. Fortunately, the film is not about the accords. If it were, it would have been an elegy.
Rather, it is about the risks those involved took to try and open a channel of communication between the conflicting countries. It does not champion the accords but rather the good will of its instigators to try and reach an amicable end to the conflict. In that, it excels – albeit with some questionable directorial choices.
Fortunately, the film is not about the accords. If it were, it would have been an elegy
Oslo's strongest aspect is its cast. Luther star Ruth Wilson and Sherlock actor Andrew Scott give arresting performances as Mona Juul and Terje Rod-Larsen, the Norwegian diplomats who initiated the talks between the PLO and Israel. Gaza Mon Amour actor Salim Dau offers a layered and enduring portrayal of Ahmed Qurie, finance minister of the PLO. Doval'e Glickman takes over the role of one of the accords' main architects, Professor Yair Hirschfeld, with charm. Unorthodox star Jeff Wilbusch, too, is incredible in his role as Israeli negotiator Uri Sarvir and Rambo III actor Sasson Gabay's depiction of Shimon Perez is unforgettable.
But it is Waleed Zuaiter who looms from this stellar throng, mostly due to the delicate and thoughtful way in which he portrays Hassan Asfour, official liaison of the PLO.
In the original play, the character of Asfour often risked coming across as a caricature of the Palestinian rage and sorrow, with one-liners that were often delivered with comic effect. Zuaiter expertly lifts the role from that pitfall, depicting a multi-faceted Asfour in a performance that sets a new standard for the character.
Oslo's cinematography, too, is excellent. With tableaux-like framings, each scene is a delight. Archival footage of the first intifada has also been spliced into the film, underscoring the daily tragedies brought about by the conflict then and now.
However, one eyebrow-raising decision was using a jaundiced yellow filter in scenes taking place in Jerusalem. The filter is infamously used in Hollywood when showing scenes taking place in warm climates, particularly Mexico and the Middle East. The visual tint is not only off-putting and drains a scene of colour but also gives a muddied impression of the country it depicts.
A memorable feature of the film is its score, written by Fargo composer Jeff Russo and Warrior composer Zoe Keating. With a restrained string section and capering piano melodies, the music is stirring and will stay with you long after the credits have rolled.
All in all, the film is an important watch. It might be a romanticised take on the events that led up to the signing of the accords but the way in which it builds and peels suspense, all while paying tribute to those who took the risks to open a door to peace, makes it one of the year's most impressive offerings.
At the time of publishing, 'Oslo' has no confirmed release date in the UAE
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
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Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Company%20Profile
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The specs
Engine: 5.0-litre supercharged V8
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Power: 575bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh554,000
On sale: now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The biog:
From: Wimbledon, London, UK
Education: Medical doctor
Hobbies: Travelling, meeting new people and cultures
Favourite animals: All of them
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
BULKWHIZ PROFILE
Date started: February 2017
Founders: Amira Rashad (CEO), Yusuf Saber (CTO), Mahmoud Sayedahmed (adviser), Reda Bouraoui (adviser)
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: E-commerce
Size: 50 employees
Funding: approximately $6m
Investors: Beco Capital, Enabling Future and Wain in the UAE; China's MSA Capital; 500 Startups; Faith Capital and Savour Ventures in Kuwait
The Bio
Favourite vegetable: “I really like the taste of the beetroot, the potatoes and the eggplant we are producing.”
Holiday destination: “I like Paris very much, it’s a city very close to my heart.”
Book: “Das Kapital, by Karl Marx. I am not a communist, but there are a lot of lessons for the capitalist system, if you let it get out of control, and humanity.”
Musician: “I like very much Fairuz, the Lebanese singer, and the other is Umm Kulthum. Fairuz is for listening to in the morning, Umm Kulthum for the night.”
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Racecard
%3Cp%3E6pm%3A%20The%20Madjani%20Stakes%20%E2%80%93%20Group%202%20(PA)%20Dh97%2C500%20(Dirt)%201%2C900m%3Cbr%3E6.35pm%3A%20Graduate%20Stakes%20%E2%80%93%20Conditions%20(TB)%20Dh100%2C000%20(D)%201%2C400m%3Cbr%3E7.10pm%3A%20Longines%20Dolcevita%20Collection%20%E2%80%93%20Maiden%20(TB)%20Dh82%2C500%20(D)%201%2C400m%3Cbr%3E7.45pm%3A%20Longines%20Legend%20Driver%20Collection%20%E2%80%93%20Maiden%20(TB)%20Dh82%2C500%20(D)%201%2C600m%3Cbr%3E8.20pm%3A%20Longines%20Master%20Collection%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(TB)%20Dh105%2C000%20(D)%201%2C200m%3Cbr%3E8.55pm%3A%20Longines%20Record%20Collection%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(TB)%20Dh87%2C500%20(D)%202%2C200m%3Cbr%3E9.30pm%3A%20Longines%20Spirit%20Collection%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(TB)%20Dh87%2C500%20(D)%201%2C600m%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
If you go
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Seattle from Dh5,555 return, including taxes. Portland is a 260 km drive from Seattle and Emirates offers codeshare flights to Portland with its partner Alaska Airlines.
The car
Hertz (www.hertz.ae) offers compact car rental from about $300 per week, including taxes. Emirates Skywards members can earn points on their car hire through Hertz.
Parks and accommodation
For information on Crater Lake National Park, visit www.nps.gov/crla/index.htm . Because of the altitude, large parts of the park are closed in winter due to snow. While the park’s summer season is May 22-October 31, typically, the full loop of the Rim Drive is only possible from late July until the end of October. Entry costs $25 per car for a day. For accommodation, see www.travelcraterlake.com. For information on Umpqua Hot Springs, see www.fs.usda.gov and https://soakoregon.com/umpqua-hot-springs/. For Bend, see https://www.visitbend.com/.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh122,745
On sale: now
ASIAN%20RUGBY%20CHAMPIONSHIP%202024
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Company%20profile
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