Junk Mail

(Norway, 1997, Dir. Pal Sletaune, 82 mins., Norwegian with English subtitles)
Roy is a wreck of a love-starved , mailman ruled by curiosity, a mean streak, and a mighty ability to find himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. He has no respect for others' privacy or property; suffers from an acute lack of professional ethics, steals mail, insults his few friends and colleagues. One day, something happens on his appointed rounds. Linn forgets her keys in her mailbox. Roy goes up to the apartment and unlocks the door. As soon as he steps over the threshold, his life takes different turn. And the more he discovers, the more he involves himself in something far more dangerous than opening other people's mail.
Junk Mail is a black comedy about love, money that no one wants, cold canned spaghetti, karaoke, involuntary good deeds, rutting and the joy of be-ing comatose.
El Bireh, Wednesday 05 April 19:30, Popular Art Center.
 

One day a man bought a house

(Norway, 1998, Dir. Pjotr Sapegin, 7 min, Norwegian with English subtitles)
One day a man bought a house in the city section of Kampen. But someone was already living there….
El Bireh, Sunday 16 April 19:30, Popular Art Center.
 

Eye for an eye

(Norway, 1998, Dir. : Emil Stang Lund, 7 min. Norwegian with English subtitles)
In the short film "Eye for an Eye" the director makes an ironic comment on the establishment of a Com-mission on Human Values by the Christian Democratic Government, currently in office.
The film itself focuses on the widow Kristina whose life is thrown into havoc after an assault in the sub-way. Luckily, her late husband Henry left her with the remedies for entrapping her enemies.
El Bireh, Sunday 16 April 19:30, Popular Art Center.
 

Depth Solitude 1995

(Norway 1995, Directors: Joachim Solum/ Thomas
Lien, 7 min, Norwegian with English subtitles) A surrealistic story about a philosophizing under-water caretaker who falls in love…
El Bireh, Sunday 16 April 19:30, Popular Art Center.
 

Rob Roy, 1995

(USA , 1995, Dir: Michael Caton-Jones, 134 mins, English)
In an era when corruption is as sharp as a sword, only one has the courage to stand up to his rivals.
A thrilling adventure about the legendary eighteenth century Scottish hero, Rob Roy MacGregor. A harsh winter threatens the Scottish Highlands and Rob Roy is forced to borrow money from the Marquis of Montrose to save his clan from starvation. Montrose's men conspire to steal the money and Rob Roy fights for his family, friends and honour.
El Bireh, Sunday 02 and Thursday 13 April 19:30, Popular Art Center.
 

Loch Ness

(UK 1998, Dir: John Henderson, 96 mins, English)
Dr. Jonathan Dempsey (Danson) travels to Scotland to discover the truth behind the mystery of the Loch Ness monster… His blossoming friendship with the daughter of his beautiful landlady leads him closer and closer to the magical secret of the Loch, a secret that will change his life forever. Lock Ness is an enchanting adventure for all the family to enjoy…..
El Bireh Tuesday 04 and Saturday 15 April 19:30, Popular Art Center.
 

The Last of the Mohicans

(USA, 1992, Dir: Michael Mann, 111 mins (USA), English)
Set in the American colonies in 1757 during the Anglo-French wars, this fierce romantic adventure chronicles the story of Hawkeye, a white man raised by Mohicans (Native Americans), who becomes entangled in a raging battle between the two rival nations. Together with his father and brother he becomes engaged in the war in an effort to save two Scottish women.
El Bireh Sunday 09 and Tuesday 25 April 19:30, Popular Art Center.
 

The Godfather (1st part)

10 Academy Awards nomination, winner of 3 Awards including best picture
(USA, 1972, Dir: Francis Ford Coppola, 170 min, English)
Based on Mario Puzo's best-selling novel and featuring Marlon Brando in his Oscar winning role as the patriarch of the Corleone family. The director paints a chilling portrait of the Sicilian clan's rise and near fall from power in America, masterfully balancing the story between the Corleones' family life and the ugly crime business in which they are engaged.
El Bireh Saturday 01 and Tuesday 18 April 19:30, Popular Art Center.
 

The Godfather (2nd part)

Winner of 6 academy awards
(USA, 1974, Dir: Francis Ford Coppola, 200 min, English)
In part II, Coppola, tells two stories: the roots and rise of a young Don Vito, played with uncanny ability by Robert De Niro, and the ascension of Michael (Al Pacino) as the new Don: Reassembling many of the talents who helped make the Godfather, Coppola has produced a movie of staggering magnitude and vision; and undeniably the best sequel ever made.
El Bireh, Saturday 08 and Sunday 23 April 19:30,
Popular Art Center.
 

The Godfather (3rd part)

Seven Academy Award nominations; including Best Picture
(USA, 1974, Dir: Francis Ford Coppola, 171 min, English)
In this third film in the epic Corleone trilogy, Al Pacino reprises the role of powerful family leader
Michael Corleone. Now in his 60s, Michael is dominated by two passions: freeing his family from crime and finding a suitable successor: That successor could be fiery Vincent (Andy Garcia)… but he may also be the spark that turns Michael's hope of business legitimacy into an inferno of mob violence. This film masterfully explores the themes of power, tradition, revenge and love…
El Bireh, Wednesday 12 April 19:30, Popular Art Center.
 

 Shakespeare in Love

Winner of 6 Oscars
(UK, 1998, Director: John Madden , 115 min, English)
A romantic comedy set in London in the late 16th century.
A young Shakespeare, out of ideas, short of cash, meets his ideal woman and is inspired to write one of the most famous plays "Romeo and Ethel the Pirate's Daughter". A great fan of Shakespeare's plays is young, wealthy Viola who is promised in marriage to a Lord, but constantly dreams of becoming an actress. Disguised as a boy, Viola successfully auditions for the part of Romeo. Soon she and William are caught in a forbidden romance that provides rich inspiration for his play…This film is a winner of 6 Oscars for 1999 including best actress.
El Bireh, Thursday 20 and Wednesday 26 and Saturday 29 April 19:30, Popular Art Center.
 

Der Bruch (The Burglary)

(Germany, 1988 Dir: Frank Beyer, 119 min, German with English subtitles)
Berlin, 1946: Even the television news show proof of an unbroken will to live. "What have we survived for ?" wonders the petty crook Lubowitz, in common with many people. He too dreams of advancement, luck and quick money . The city is still in chaos, even in the then Soviet sector. Lubowitz and his friend Graf plan to break in and steal the takings of the State Railway. To do this, they need the help of the old safe-breaker Bruno and a few other henchmen. After much difficulty, the plan succeeds, and the crooks pocket over a million Reichsmark. Now it is the role of the policemen who are less professional than the robbers to catch them all.
This film will be screened in cooperation with Goethe Institute.
El Bireh, Sunday 30 April 19:30, Popular Art Center.
 

The last five short films of the millennium

(Bethlehem 2000 production, 1999, 45 minutes, Arabic with English subtitles)
Directors: Azza al Hassan, Mai Masri, Subhi Zbeidi, Rachid Masharawi and Elie Soleiman.
A testament on the last century, and a glimpse into the future, five Palestinian film makers, commissioned by the Bethlehem 2000 project, embarked on producing the film of their fantasy for New Year's Eve. Rachid Mashharawi playfully presents a film about Palestinian food, namely about a famous Palestinian meal, "Makloubeh' or "upside down" which is the title of the film. Mai Masri, presents a shor version of her acclaimed documentary "children of Shatilla". Subhi Zbeidi presents a group of children from the Jalazone refugee camp, his home camp, "Ali and his friends" as the heroes of this original documentary. Azza el Hassan's "The Place" brings to this group of films the poeticism of a young Palestinian woman with artistic insight and high ambitions. Elia Suleiman presents a short fiction film of 15 minute, "Cyber Palestine", which plays on the theme of a modern day Josef and Mary living in Gaza.
In coooeration with the Bethlehem 2000 project. El Bireh, Sunday 16 April 19:30, Popular Art Center.
 

Paris, Texas

Winner or the Golden Palm at Cannes Festival
(USA, 1984, Dir: Wim Wenders, 114 min, English )
The film tells the story of Travis Anderson attempting to come to terms with his role as a father and reuniting with his estranged wife Jane in the start Texan town of Paris which symbolises on the Wender's fabourate themes- the cultural tension between the old and new worlds.
El Bireh, Tuesday 11 and Saturday 22 April 19:30, Popular Art Center.
 

Blade Runner

(USA, 1982, Dir: Ridly Scott , 112 min., English)
Since the release of this futuristic thriller in , "Blade Runner" has remained one of the few science-fiction movies to retain its originality and freshness. Retired Super-cop "blade runner", Harrison Ford is specialized in identifying and destroying anadroids. He is pressed back into service when a group of "replicates" illegally return to Earth, but he soon finds himself as a desperate, vulnerable and uncertain as the androids themselves. El Bireh, Wednesday 19 April 19:30, Popular Art Center.
 

The Milky Way

(Israel 1997, 104 min., Dir. Ali Nassar, color, Arabic)
1964 - an Arab village in the Galilee, during the last year of the Militry Rule. There, on the rocky hills, love and social ritual coexist with deep unhealed wounds, a legacy from the 1948 war. Mabrouq, the village fool, befriends Muhammad, one of the few who dare stand up to the Military Governor and the village's fierce leader, the Mukhtar.
El Bireh, Thursday 27 April 19:30, Popular Art Center.