Elia Suleilman was born in 1960 and is a Palestinian filmmaker who is best known for his films Divine Intervention (2002), which won the Jury Prize and FIPRESCI Prize at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival. With a cinematic style that is often compared to comedic and visually witty legends like Jacques Tati and Buster Keaton, his films cover themes of cultural disembodiment with comic tones. His first film was the documentary Introduction to the End of an Argument (1990) made during his time living in New York City. In 2009, he made The Time that Remains that also played at Cannes, but his next feature was not for another ten years. It Must Be Heaven was awarded a Special Mention at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival and garnered him his first APSA nomination for Achievement in Directing. It Must Be Heaven was also announced as Palestine’s official entry to the Best International Film category of the Academy Awards®.

Accolades

Elia Suleiman
Achievement in Directing, 2019

Elia Suleiman

Achievement in Directing, 2019

Elia Suleiman

It Must Be Heaven

Elia Suleilman was born in 1960 and is a Palestinian filmmaker who is best known for his films Divine Intervention (2002), which won the Jury…

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Elia Suleiman and Édouard Weil and Laurine Pelassy and Thanassis Karathanos and Martin Hampel and Serge Noël
Cultural Diversity Award, 2019

It Must Be Heaven

Cultural Diversity Award, 2019

It Must Be Heaven

Told through the director’s alter ego, Palestinian filmmaker Elia Suleiman (ES) escapes from Palestine seeking an alternative homeland. On his travels, however, he finds parallels…

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Elia Suleiman
Jury Grand Prize, 2009

Elia Suleiman

Jury Grand Prize, 2009

Elia Suleiman

The Time That Remains

Winner, Jury Grand Prize, 2009 The Jury Grand Prize is presented at the discretion of the Jury. In 2009, the International Jury decided to present…

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Hani Farsi and Elia Suleiman and Avi Kleinberger
Best Feature Film, 2009

The Time That Remains

Best Feature Film, 2009

The Time That Remains

The Time That Remains is a semi-autobiographical film, in four historic episodes, about a family – Elia Suleiman’s family – spanning from 1948, until recent times.…

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Films

It Must Be Heaven
2019

It Must Be Heaven

Palestine, Qatar, Türkiye, Canada, France, Germany
2019

It Must Be Heaven

Told through the director’s alter ego, Palestinian filmmaker Elia Suleiman (ES) escapes from Palestine seeking an alternative homeland. On his travels, however, he finds parallels…

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The Time That Remains
2009

The Time That Remains

Palestine, France, Italy, Belgium, United Kingdom
2009

The Time That Remains

Winner, Jury Grand Prize, 2009 The Time That Remains is a semi-autobiographical film, in four historic episodes, about a family – Elia Suleiman’s family –…

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The Asia Pacific Screen Academy expresses its respect for and acknowledgement of the South East Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. We pay our respects to the Traditional Owners of country, including the custodial communities on whose land works are created and celebrated by the Asia Pacific Screen Awards. We acknowledge the continuing connection to land, waters and communities. We also pay our respects to Elders, past and emerging. We recognise the integral role Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and First Nations peoples continue to play in storytelling and celebration spaces.

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