Elia Suleiman's CHRONICLE OF A DISAPPEARANCE (1996) — co-presented by Mizna

The singular Elia Suleiman's acclaimed debut—a wildly inventive, absurdly hilarious, and deeply poignant portrait of Palestinian life.

ELIA SULEIMAN'S PALESTINE TRILOGY — co-presented by Mizna

Across three evenings over three months, The Philosophical Research Society's 7th House, in collaboration with Mizna, a leading platform for contemporary Arab and SWANA arts and culture, proudly presents Palestinian filmmaker Elia Suleiman's celebrated PALESTINE TRILOGY: CHRONICLE OF A DISAPPEARANCE (1996), DIVINE INTERVENTION (2002), and THE TIME THAT REMAINS (2009). Rarely screened in Los Angeles, and even more rarely presented together, these three singular works offer a profoundly moving, darkly humorous, and deeply human portrait of Palestinian life under Israel’s occupation.

One of the most distinctive voices in contemporary world cinema, Suleiman has developed a singular visual language recalling the deadpan physical comedy of Buster Keaton and the meticulous choreography of Jacques Tati. Fans of Aki Kaurismäki and Jim Jarmusch will find a kindred spirit in Suleiman, whose precisely composed images and exquisitely timed visual comedy transform everyday life into something both wonderfully strange and disarmingly profound. Frequently appearing as a nearly silent observer in his own films, he turns moments of daily occupied life into occasions of surreally absurd comedy, wry resistance, and deeply felt tenderness. But the humor never obscures the grim realities beneath it: the violence of occupation, the indignities of displacement, and the profound sorrow of a people denied their freedom. Instead, it becomes a means of expressing resistance and insisting upon humanity in the face of dehumanization.

Revisiting these films today carries a significance that could scarcely have been anticipated when the trilogy concluded in 2009. Against the backdrop of the ongoing tragedy in Palestine, Suleiman's work takes on a new and often heartbreaking poignancy. Seen together on the big screen, these films offer a deeply human testament to the spirit, memory, and enduring resilience of the Palestinian people.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19 — CHRONICLE OF A DISAPPEARANCE (1996)

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17 — DIVINE INTERVENTION (2002)

TUESDAY, JANUARY 21 — THE TIME THAT REMAINS (2009)