Chronicle of a Disappearance (1996)

Director:

Elia Suleiman

Writer:

Elia Suleiman

Release Date:

8 April 1998 (France)

Genre:

Drama

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Elia Suleiman	...	Himself
Ola Tabari	...	Adan
Nazira Suleiman	...	Mother
Fuad Suleiman	...	Father
Ali Suliman	...	The Man
Juliet Mazzawi	...	The aunt
Fawaz Eilemi	...	Abu Adnan
Leonid Alexeenko	...	Priest
Iaha Mouhamad	...	The writer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Stephan Abib	...	Radio and Phone Voice
Nawal S. Abu Kartoumah	...	Whisling scene the couple
Mahmoud Abu Khamis	...	Men exanging cigarettes
Bassam Abu Nassar	...	Customer
Ibrahim Abu-Jummah	...	Man with Dentures
Haim Adri	...	Radio and Phone Voice
Walid Aun Ali	...	Whisling scene the couple
Adnan Anu Snieni	...	First car
Itsik Aradge	...	Police
Hani Elias Asous	...	Cafe owner
Ahmad Ayadi	...	Hand sparking kid
Rohi Ayadi	...	Customer
Samer Azar	...	Turban man
Koby Azarly	...	Special Force
Iklas Bajali	...	Death notice readers
Iklhlas Bajali	...	Women in the kitchen
Shatiqa Bajali	...	Women in the kitchen
Boaz Bar	...	Security man
Gil Baruchi	...	Security man
Amir Batheoh	...	Worker 2
Dudu Ben Zaken	...	Security man
Elias Bisharat	...	Cafe customer
Frédéric Bouilleux	...	American colon Hotel
Tabal Bsoul	...	Customer
Samir Buto	...	Cafe customer
Mahmoud Abdul Checkh	...	First car
Jamal M. Daher	...	Third car
Jamel Daher	...	Jamal
Yousra Dibie	...	Women in the kitchen
Awni Elias	...	Worker
Alexander Erlih	...	Police
Gaida Fahoum	...	Girl passing
Uri Frost	...	Radio and Phone Voice
Ruta Gadish	...	Radio and Phone Voice
Sol Habibi	...	Security man
Khalil Hamati	...	Death notice readers
Mahmoud Kadah	...	Men exanging cigarettes
George Khalifi	...	Real Estate Agent
Jihad Khamis	...	Women in the kitchen
Akram Khouri	...	Shop butcher
Nahla Khouri	...	Women in the kitchen
Sergei Klimkin	...	Police
Serjei Landinsky	...	Special Force
Christof Le Du	...	American colon Hotel
Issam Mahli	...	Cafe customer
Riad Masarwi	...	Conference Room Spaeker 1
Maysarat Masri	...	Second car
Ireana Mistrakov	...	Russian waitress
Shereen Nakh	...	Girl passing
Nasim Nakhlih	...	Cafe customer
Hamad Nara	...	Cafe customer
Mouhamad Nara	...	Worker 1
Loutof Nowesser	...	Car repair shop owner
Dimitry Osmolov	...	Police
Igor Paskov	...	Police
Mahmoud Qadah	...	Worker
Imile Qamou	...	Cafe owner
Ramzi El Checkch Qassins	...	Theater Technical
Tareq Qobti	...	Second car
Shoa Rashid	...	Car driver
Eyal Raz	...	Security man
Roni Rock	...	Mobile Home man
Zohaira Sabag	...	Panelist
Bila Saig	...	Women in the kitchen
Imad Samara	...	Theater Technical
Raid Sarsor	...	The Swimmer
Gassan Shama	...	The Waiter
Tareq Shhadi	...	Panelist
Mahmoun Shinawi	...	Worker
Samir Srouj	...	Tourist guide
Ula Tabari	...	ADAN
Basil Tanous	...	Mobile Home man
Caravan Yael	...	Radio and Phone Voice
Reem Zhaharia	...	Karate kid
Seleem Zhaharia	...	Karate kid
Abdalla Zoabi	...	Whisling scene the kid
Azmi Zoabi	...	Customer
Hossen Zoabi	...	Customer
Saib Zreaq	...	Customer

Directed by
Elia Suleiman

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Elia Suleiman

Produced by
Assaf Amir	....	producer
Elia Suleiman	....	producer

Cinematography by
Marc-André Batigne

Film Editing by
Anna Ruiz

Casting by
Ula Tabari

Production Design by
Samir Srouji
Hans Ter Elst

Costume Design by
Mira Awad

Sound Department
Stéphane Brunclair	....	sound editor
Jean-Paul Mugel	....	sound

Stunts
Koby Azarly	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Ehab Assal	....	focus puller
Raed Bashir	....	electrician
Ferencz Radnai	....	gaffer

Production Companies

• Centre National de la Cinématographie (CNC)
• Independent Television Service (ITVS)
• Programme MEDIA de la Communauté Européenne

Distributors

• International Film Circuit (1997) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• International Film Circuit (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• Kino Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Connaissance du Cinéma (1998) (France) (theatrical)
• Mongrel Media (Canada)

Also Known As:

"Chronik eines Verschwindens" - Germany
"Chronique d'une disparition" - France
"Segell ikhtifa" - Israel (Hebrew title)
"Katoamisen kronikka" - Finland
"To hroniko mias exafanisis" - Greece (festival title)

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

Palestine | Israel | USA | Germany | France

Language:

Arabic | Hebrew | French | English

Color:

Color

Certification:

France:U | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud)

Company:

Centre National de la Cinématographie (CNC)

Signs of genius

Elia Suleiman returns to his home after a long absence, and gives a portrait of the society he left behind - that of Israeli Palestinians living among Jewish Israelis in Israel. Suleiman's Israeli Palestinians are somewhat miserable, squabbling people who seem to be accustomed or accepting of this fate. His Israelis are racist and his Israeli security forces are dumb and dumber. Jewish Tel Aviv and Palestinians Jericho, visited during his trip, receive so little attention, as to attest to their insignificance. Instead, its all about Jerusalem, where the two societies collide head on. As in Divine Intervention (which came out later) - the Palestinians receive some redemption only in fantasy. The scene where a Palestinian woman manages to rid Jerusalem of Israeli policing forces by use of a walkie talkie was pure brilliance. There are other brilliant scenes in this movie - however, the film does not flow and never really follows a set rhythm. However, it is highly recommended for those scenes that attest to the directors brilliance