A protester waves a Palestinian flag in front of the Israeli West Bank settlement of Beitar Illit on September 5, 2014, during a demonstration against Israel’s decision to expropriate 400 hectares of land in the territory. Musa Al Shaer / AFP
A protester waves a Palestinian flag in front of the Israeli West Bank settlement of Beitar Illit on September 5, 2014, during a demonstration against Israel’s decision to expropriate 400 hectares of Show more

Cannes Film Festival: Palestinians get first pavilion in boost to film industry



The Palestinian flag will be raised next week at the Cannes film festival, which will host their first ever national pavilion.

Film-makers said the new level of representation in the international village of the prestigious festival was a significant step for the fledgling Palestinian cinema industry.

The pavilion, one of around 70 representing countries from across the globe, will give Palestinian film-makers an opportunity to pitch their work to top international industry executives.

Mohanad Yaqubi, one of the co-founders of the Palestine Film Institute, said it was a significant moment.

"Almost every year Palestine has a film selected in Cannes but until now we didn't have an official presence there", Yaqubi, who is also a film-maker, told AFP.

"Industry-wise it is very important to have a presence...(to) network at an industry level", he said in English.

The pavilion will be mostly funded by the Palestinian ministry of culture, which declined to say exactly how much it invested.

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Lina Bokhary, head of the ministry's cinema department, said the decision was part of wider efforts to promote Palestinian film.

"All throughout the history of film, for a national film industry to happen you need stability and state investment - and that is something we never had".

"Cannes is important because it is a hub, the door to all of Europe which is a big market for Palestinian films".

Saudi Arabia, which recently lifted a ban on cinema in the country, is also expected to have its first pavilion at the Cannes film festival which begins on May 8.

The Palestinian film industry is small and respected, and a number of films have gained critical acclaim in recent years, Bokhary said.

"If in a year we have four or five feature films that would be a very good year", she said.

In 2017, the Palestinian film Ghost Hunting, which focused on Israeli prisons, won best documentary at the Berlin International Film Festival.

Yaqubi said that much of the Palestinian film industry was about humanising Palestinians, who are often seen through the 70-year conflict with Israel.

He said Palestinian film-makers constantly struggle to "change how the West" views Palestinian people and to get rid of the "stigma" surrounding them.

"Changing opinions in the West is our fight more than doing films for entertainment or box office", he said.

"(The Israelis) are winning on the ground, that is obvious, but the fight of image is still going on - and this is a battle we can do something about".

Tour de France

When: July 7-29

UAE Team Emirates:
Dan Martin, Alexander Kristoff, Darwin Atapuma, Marco Marcato, Kristijan Durasek, Oliviero Troia, Roberto Ferrari and Rory Sutherland

ENGLAND TEAM

England (15-1)
George Furbank; Jonny May, Manu Tuilagi, Owen Farrell (capt), Elliot Daly; George Ford, Ben Youngs; Tom Curry, Sam Underhill, Courtney Lawes; Charlie Ewels, Maro Itoje; Kyle Sinckler, Jamie George, Joe Marler
Replacements: Luke Cowan-Dickie, Ellis Genge, Will Stuart, George Kruis, Lewis Ludlam, Willi Heinz, Ollie Devoto, Jonathan Joseph

How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.

Formula%204%20Italian%20Championship%202023%20calendar
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The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
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ACL Elite (West) - fixtures

Monday, Sept 30

Al Sadd v Esteghlal (8pm)
Persepolis v Pakhtakor (8pm)
Al Wasl v Al Ahli (8pm)
Al Nassr v Al Rayyan (10pm)

Tuesday, Oct 1
Al Hilal v Al Shorta (10pm)
Al Gharafa v Al Ain (10pm)

Why it pays to compare

A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.

Route 1: bank transfer

The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.

Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount

Total received: €4,670.30 

Route 2: online platform

The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.

Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction

Total received: €4,756

The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.

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Qosty Byogaani

Starring: Hani Razmzi, Maya Nasir and Hassan Hosny

Four stars

Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.