Lebanese authorities have banned the award-winning movie “The Attack” from being shown in the country because its Lebanese director shot part of the movie in Israel and used Israeli actors.
The film is about an Arab surgeon in a Tel Aviv hospital who finds out that his wife died in a suicide bombing, The Times of Israel reports.
“I regret to inform you that the interior minister of Lebanon, Minister [Marwan] Charbel, has decided to punish us and the film by banning it,” director Ziad Doueiri wrote Saturday on his Facebook page. “[T]he reason for the rejection is that I, Ziad Doueiri, had spent time in Israel filming.”
“The [M]inistry [of Culture] said it had nothing against the film, but that it wasn’t ’Lebanese enough.’ They also said they could not have a film with Israeli actors represent Lebanon at the Oscars,” he told The Times of Israel. “I knew from the start it was a lost cause.”
“All this does in the end is portray Lebanon in a negative light, and tell us, filmmakers, that we if think outside of the box, we ’ll be considered pariahs and outlaws,” Mr. Doueiri added.
“The Attack” won the Special Jury Award at the 2012 San Sebastian Film Festival in Spain and the Golden Star at Morocco’s Marrakesh Film Festival, The Times of Israel reports.
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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