Tale of the Three Jewels

A frontline portrait of Palestinian life on the Gaza Strip (in a period between the Hebron events and the withdrawal and new peace initiatives), told from the viewpoint of a 12-year-old boy who becomes involved with a 'gypsy' girl. The raids by Israeli special forces are powerfully filmed and cleanly integrated into the narrative - as unexceptional to the boy as the activities of the young Palestinian fighters. Michel Khleifi (writer, director, producer) adds an elevating metaphysical/religious dimension that embraces elements of orthodox Middle Eastern mysticism, the boy's dream-founded intuition and the girl's nature-oriented world view.