January 17, 2006
Washington, DC — The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) congratulates Palestinian director Hany Abu Assad on winning the Best Foreign Film Golden Globe award for his film “Paradise Now.”
While receiving the Golden Globe, Abu Assad said that he saw the award not only as recognition of the film, its cast and crew, “but also as recognition that the Palestinians deserve their liberty and equality unconditionally.” Abu Assad co-wrote this film with Bero Beyer, the film‘s Dutch producer. Significantly, the foreign Hollywood press presented “Paradise Now” as a film from Palestine, recognizing it as a country.
Since its release in October 2005, the Palestinian drama, which follows the lives of two Palestinian young men in the West Bank city of Nablus, has received many awards and accolades in numerous international film festivals, including best foreign film at the Independent Spirit Award, The National Board of Review, and The Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Board. The film is also the first Palestinian film to be submitted for Academy Award consideration for best foreign language film. To view a list of all the awards “Paradise Now” has been nominated for and received, visit http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0445620/awards
Abu Assad is already known for his previous international award winning films “Rana‘s wedding” and “Ford Transit.” Last October, ADC attended a private screening of the film, and interviewed Director Abu Assad about the movie. To read ADC‘s interview with Abu Assad, please see https://www.adc.org/index.php