Precious Life

Palestinian woman, Raida Abu Mustaffa, has lost two daughters
to a rare genetic disease. Her baby son with the same defect needs treatment at an Israeli hospital. There, she meets Dr Somech who helps her raise the money for the treatment. He brings onboard director Eldar, a journalist who airs a piece on Israeli TV and raises the full amount within hours. Raida is grateful but bemused by the help of the Israeli community. She enters a dialogue with the ever-present Eldar as to why they would help her family.

In the film’s most engrossing scene, in a casual conversation, she shocks Eldar by saying that she will raise her son to believe it is acceptable to grow up to be a suicide bomber killing Israelis. ”Do you not believe life is precious?” asks Eldar. Her view aggravates Eldar and their relationship becomes more complex.

Raida herself is accused by her people of having fallen under the sway of the Israelis. Like Eldar and the audience, she has to balance the nature of life with the power of belief and the demands of one’s community.

In confronting these thorny situations and delving far beneath the surface, this film has been short listed as one of the 15 finalists for the Academy Awards 2011.