Father to air controversial film that Sydney cinemas ‘didn’t have the guts to show’.
Report LAWRENCE CONWAY
A controversial film about suicide bombers will be screened in Dulwich Hill over the weekend by Father David Smith of the Holy Trinity Church.
Paradise Now has been critically acclaimed and won several awards, but Australian screenings have been rare. Father David said he was screening the film because virtually none of Sydney’s cinemas had the desire or the guts to show it.
“This is a movie that needs to he seen by every Australian — if we are going to deal effectively with terrorism we need to understand it first,” he said. “Terrorism is a terrible scourge, yet giving rise to these desperate acts of violence, there are often very real grievances that need to be addressed.”
Paradise Now was awarded four out of five stars by David Stratton and Margaret Pomeranz on their ABC show At The Movies. The film was nominated for an Academy Award this year, won a Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film and was the recipient of last year’s Amnesty International Film Prize.
The film by Palestinian director Hany Abu-Assad follows two young West Bank motor mechanics in the 48 hours before they set off on a suicide mission.
Father David acknowledged that he may be accused of anti-Semitism over the screening of the film which is essentially critical of Israeli Government policy.
“The big problem is it’s hard to be critical of the Israeli Government, but I’m also critical of the Australian Government,” he said. “The criticism isn’t anti-Semitic. It’s opening up an issue that needs to be discussed.”
Paradise Now will screen between May 26 and May 28 from 7 pm at the Herbert Street church.
Inner Western Courier
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