ABSTRACT
Through the medium of film, Palestinians have found a space to address the paradox of being an invisible people or present absentees. Suleiman’s films provide them with a space in which they resist marginalization, non-presence, and address the concept of humiliation due to the loss of their homeland. The family of Palestinian director Elia Suleiman is one who was able to remain in his hometown, Nazareth. Suleiman has chosen to contest the marginalization of his people through his silent presence. In the films, the character E.S. (the director who plays himself) observes from the sideline, as he chronicles the events that are unfolding around him. His mute presence develops into an icon. In addition, through his portrayal of Nazareth, he renders his hometown the same iconic status, being the Palestinian city that resists negation as it holds on to the remnants of its Arab culture. In this chapter, I focus on his loose film trilogy, Chronicle of a Disappearance (1996), Divine Intervention (2002), and The Time that Remains (2009), maintaining that his works have become icons of Palestinian cinema and ultimately the homeland.
