Miral
- Title: Miral
- IMDB: link
Directed by Julian Schnabel and adapted from her own novel by Rula Jebreal, Miral is an attempt by the Jewish filmmaker to examine life from the point of view of several Palestinian women after the establishment of the state of Israel.
The film begins with the rescue of 55 orphaned children by Hind Hussein (Hiam Abbass). The children were the first discovered survivors of Deir Yassin Massacre, but within six months the number of children would swell to several thousand.
I’ll stop for a second to discuss Hind Hussein, who is definitely worthy of a film dedicated to her life and accomplishments. Using what resources she had, Hussein transformed her grandfather’s estate into an orphanage and institute of learning which continues today. Abbass gives a strong performance, even overcoming some questionable old age makeup for the character’s later years. But, somewhat to the film’s detriment, Hussein isn’t the film’s main character. In fact, I’m not sure it has one.
…
Win Win is writer/director 
What is it about music? It can inspire, deeply move and remind us of times long since past. It’s that final piece which is the heart of The Music Never Stopped. We tie memories to sights, smells, and sounds. A familiar song can produce a rush of forgotten emotion tied to a specific moment from our past.
