Palestine Film Festival Review: Two Hands

Director Fabio Wuytak’s “Two Hands,” is about life in Palestine through the eyes of a cardiac surgeon.

Mohammed Tamim describes the feelings he has when he heals Palestinians who suffer from the physical violence of Israeli occupation.

Tamim is one of four, cardiac surgeons who serve the 3.5 million people living in the West Bank and Gaza. If several people need heart surgery at once, there may not be a cardiac surgeon available.

Then there is an image of two hands touching glass. When the hands move away, the skin leaves prints on the condensation. The doctor only has two hands to save one life at a time, even if many lives are on the cusp of life.

“Two Hands” captures images of violence metaphorically. A leaf floats underwater, and then a stone block lands on the leaf. The stone block could represent the rubble of a demolished Palestinian home; it could represent the force of occupation on the leaf, or a fallen life, as it tries rising to the surface. These images flesh out the doctor’s perspective on his job. He works long hours to heal people living with violence. As a Palestinian he strives for the dreams of his family.

“Two hands” is a stunning, cinematic vignette.

This film is showing Saturday, April 21, 2007 at 8:15 P.M. at the Gene Siskel Film Center for the 6th Annual Chicago Palestine Film Festival.

Directed by: Fabio Wuytack
Country: Belgium
Year: 2005
Duration: 13 minutes
In French and Arabic with English subtitles.

-U.S. journalist and film critic Sonia Nettnin writes about social, political, economic, and cultural issues. Her focus is the Middle East.

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