To understand "Divine Intervention," you must know that there is a checkpoint between Ramallah and Jerusalem, a dividing
point between the Palestinians and the Israelis. (I will assume you already knew those two groups hate each other.) Even with that knowledge, however, this is a hard film to get but an enjoyable one to watch. Virtually without dialogue or plot, it is presented as a series of vignettes that range from the amusing to the bizarre, all showing the difficulty of daily life in Jerusalem and environs under the current political circumstances. Some scenes even seem to repeat themselves, which I suppose symbolizes the sense of futility and boredom that must arise when a hostile environment makes it impossible to do anything interesting with your life. The film begins with Santa Claus being chased and ultimately stabbed by young boys. Then, we see an older man driving his car, waving politely to everyone he sees as he mutters obscenities about them. You will agree, I'm sure, that a film beginning this way is worth sticking around for.
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