“Miral”: Definitely An Oscar Movie
The Weinstein Co. has acquired Julian Schnabel’s Miral. There’s something vague and indistinct about the name “Miral,” which is the name of the the main character, played by Freida Pinto (pictured with Schnabel.) The film is obviously being positioned as an Oscar contender — Best Picture, Director, Actress, etc.
Based on a book by Rula Jebreal, pic is about a real-life orphanage established in Jerusalem by a Palestinian lady named Hind Husseini (Hiam Abbass) following the 1948 creation of Israel by Lee J. Cobb, Sal Mineo and Paul Newman. A fictional storyline shows Miral being sent to the orphanage in 1978, and then going on to teach at a refugee camp and falling for an activist.” An anti-Isareli or pro-Isareli activist?
“[This] is the first film I am involved in that shows the ‘other side’ of the Israel-Palestine conflict,” Harvey Weinstein said in a statement “As a staunch supporter of Israel, I thought this would be a movie I would have a hard time wrapping my head around. However, meeting Rula moved me to open my heart and mind and I hope we can do that same with audiences worldwide.”
