THE TIME THAT REMAINS (LE TEMPS QUI RESTE)

France/Belgium/Italy, 2009, 109 minutes, Colour.
Elia Suleiman, Saleh Bakri.
Directed by Elia Suleiman.

Elia Suleiman was born in Nazareth, one of the minority Arabs living in Israel. His films are semi-autobiographical. His film previous to this one, Divine Intervention, received awards at Cannes and was distributed around the world. He does not want to be labelled 'the Palestinian director'. Rather, he wants to entertain his audience with stories that come from life, humorous as well as serious incidents. This, he hopes, will give a personal picture of life in Israel and Palestine without emphasising the ideologies.

He succeeds with The Time that Remains, although the jocose tone of the film in the last section when Suleiman portrays himself changes the tone of the film a great deal, more surrealistic in its jokes and its selection of non-sequitur episodes than the more 'historical' narrative.

The film opens in the present as he comes from the airport in a fierce thunderstorm and his driver is lost – and keeps repeating 'where am I?'. This leads to remembrance of Nazareth in 1948, the takeover by the Israeli army, the mayor signing an accord, the attempt of the mayor, Suleiman's grandfather, to leave for Amman and the arrest of his father, Fuad, a gunmaker, and his brutal treatment by the Israeli soldiers.

There follow episodes in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, based on his father's diaries and his mother's letters. While there are disturbances and protests, life in Nazareth is rather more quiet than in Gaza. Fuad has a workshop. The family lives quite comfortably. Aunt Olga is the principal of the Arab school (even winning a competition for Hebrew singing schools and watching Spartacus) – and the young Elia is corrected by a teacher for saying that America is colonialist (and later again for saying it is imperialist).

Fuad has to go to hospital several times, the result of his beating. He goes night fishing in the Mediterranean over the years and the patrols recognise him – though he is arrested for allegedly smuggling arms from Lebanon by sea. His depressed neighbour pours gasoline over himself from time to time and Fuad stops him each time. Aunt Olga calls in and watches a lot of TV. Elia grows up and there is nothing much for him and his friends to do except hang around and watch odd characters pass by.

When Elia returns, Nazareth is modern. Aunt Olga has a Filipino maid. His old cronies still sit in the street drinking coffer watching people go by. Elia travels to Ramallah and watches the youngsters dancing at a club like anywhere else where there are clubs. A sequence where a huge tank has its barrell focused on the young man who crosses the street to put rubbish in the dumpster and then answers his mobile phone, the barrell tracking his every move as he chats and walks.

But Olga is unwell and Elia visits her. His own performance is of the silent movie comic style, the sad sack personality with stooped shoulders, smile-less. He lets the camera dwell on his face, his stooped stances and his observing of life around him.

During the final credits, there is a local version of the Bee Gees Stayin' Alive, a recipe for the Middle East.

1.Suleiman’s work, Palestinian Arab, Israeli citizen? His history? His career? The present?

2.His emphasis on stories, based on reality rather than ideology? Their impact for a wide audience?

3.Nazareth over the decades, the city, the vistas, Israeli rule, a beautiful city, comfortable life, school, streets, homes and hospitals? Fishing in the Mediterranean?

4.The West Bank, Ramallah, the hotels, the clubs?

5.The opening, the thunderstorm, the driver, lost, repeating asking where he is?

6.1948, the Israeli soldiers, occupying Nazareth, donning Palestinian gear, rounding up the Palestinian rebels, shooting the supportive woman in the street? The battles, the mayor, in the car with the white flag, the speech from the Israeli military, their dominance, his signing the agreement, the photo opportunity?

7.The mayor and his decision to leave, packing, with the family, Fouard and his making the guns? The wounded man, going with cousin? The soldiers stopping them, the cousin running, Fouard being arrested? The brutal interrogation, counting one to ten, being bashed, thrown over the fence? The physical and psychological effect on Fouard?

8.The 50s and 60s, Fouard married, his health and hospitalisation, his young son? Home life? Aunt Olga up the street? The neighbour and his dousing himself with petrol, pessimism, his bizarre tactics for defeating the Israelis? His language? The school, the Arab minority, Olga as principal, winning the singing competition, singing Israeli songs, for Israeli holidays? The young Elia and his being reprimanded for calling the Americans colonialist and imperial? The schoolchildren watching Spartacus, the rousing speech by Kirk Douglas – the love scene with Jean Simmons and Aunt Olga’s explanation that they were like brother and sister?

9.The background of the world history, in the Arab world, the effect of Nasser, Nasser’s death, the wars? The television and the visuals of explosions, speeches?

10.Fouard, his relationship with his wife, smoking too much, going fishing, the patrol asking the same questions, taking them for granted? His driving to Tel Aviv, the truck on the bridge, his rescuing the soldier, in hospital? His open-heart surgery? Deteriorating health? In hospital, Elia coming to take him home, in the car, listening to the music, the quietness of his death?

11.The teenage Elia, tearing the Israeli flag, having to leave the country? Sitting with his parents? The silences? Olga and the problems with her eyes? With his friends, hanging around, watching the wife in uniform being picked up and the husband’s frustration?

12.His return as an older man, Olga and age, the Filipino maid and the cleaner, Olga eating the ice cream, her diabetes injection? The fireworks and her sitting on the balcony? Going to hospital, resigned to die?

13.The comedy incidents: Suleiman as looking serious, his stoop, no smiles? His observation of people? In the house, the cleaning, the boy trying to sell the beans and getting the cigarette, the maid singing karaoke from Titanic, the maid being bossy with Olga? Meeting his three friends again, watching the man waving, the man and his whistling The Godfather and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly?

14.The trip to Ramallah, the passengers, the roadblocks, staying at the hotel, watching the protests and the battle from his window, the woman with the baby in the pram stopping the battle? The club and the curfew? The young people dancing? The boy emptying the garbage, getting the mobile phone call, the huge tank, its barrel following his every movement?

15.The cumulative effect of the history, the stories, the comedy? Suleiman’s intentions, successful? The final credits and the significance of the lyrics and beat of Stayin’ Alive?