Hanna K.
Hanna K. | |
---|---|
Directed by | Costa-Gavras |
Written by | Costa-Gavras Franco Solinas |
Produced by | Bob Cortez Edward Lewis |
Starring | Jill Clayburgh Jean Yanne Gabriel Byrne Mohammad Bakri Zinedine Soualem |
Cinematography | Ricardo Aronovich |
Edited by | Françoise Bonnot |
Music by | Gabriel Yared |
Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 111 minutes |
Countries | Israel France |
Language | English |
Hanna K. is a 1983 American drama film directed by Costa-Gavras, starring Jill Clayburgh and Gabriel Byrne. The film was an attempt to depict the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in human terms.[1]
Plot
Hanna K. is the story of Hanna Kaufman, a child of
The state's attorneys offer Hanna a deal: if she drops the proceedings, they will arrange for Salim to become a South African citizen, and he can then return to Israel and try to get his property back. Hanna is confronted with the fact that one legacy of the Holocaust was the dispossession of the Palestinians while her colleagues attempt to persuade her of the merits of the arrangement for Salim with the argument that Israel must be "defended" even if Palestinians are denied their rights.[2]
Reception and controversy
Pro-Israeli groups were concerned about the film's sympathetic depiction of the Palestinian issue. An internal memorandum was circulated by a B'nai B'rith advising members about arguments which can be made against the film.[3]
Hanna K. opened in several American cities and played for a short time to negative reviews, and then was abruptly pulled from circulation by the American distributor of the film. Costa Gavras personally advertised the film in The New York Times at a cost of $50,000. Universal forbade him to use ads prepared for the film.[1]
Vincent Canby of The New York Times called it a "large, soggy dud" with ill-drawn characters and "dopey dialogue."[4] Edward Said said in a Village Voice review that "as a political as well as cinematic intervention, then Hanna K. is a statement of a great and, I believe, lasting significance."[1]
Legacy
In her 1986 book Israel and the American National Interest, A Critical Examination
References
- ^ ISBN 0-252-01330-1. p 340
- ^ Edward Said’s review of Hanna K., The Village Voice, Oct. 11, 1983, p. 45
- ^ Cheryl A. Rubenberg, p341
- ^ Canby, Vincent (1983-09-30). "The Screen: 'Hanna K.,' with Jill Clayburgh". The New York Times. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
External links
- Hanna K. at IMDb
- Hanna K. at Rotten Tomatoes
- Hanna K. at AllMovie