Ali Nasser
Directing
Biography
Born in the city of Araba, Palestine, Nasser grew up watching Egyptian films and Lebanese operettas . In 1975 received a scholarship from the Communist Party, and in 1981 graduated with a master's degree in directing at the Moscow Film Academy. Upon his return to Israel he founded a theater group in Araba and directed four plays. In 1983 he wrote and directed the documentary "Story of a Seaside City", a political film about the Ajami neighborhood, which was not distributed to the public. A similar fate also happened to his second film, "The Nurse" from 1994. In 1997, his first feature film, "The Milky Way" was released. The film, which was financed by the "Fund for Encouraging Quality Israeli Films", was screened in Cinematheques for a long time, won the award for the best Israeli screenplay at the Jerusalem Film Festival in 1997, and participated in several international film festivals. His next feature, "In the Ninth Month" from 2002, was nominated for 7 Israeli Ophir Awards but did not win in any category. The jury offered Nassar the consolation prize, but he declined.
Known For
The legend of The Sack Man, a mysterious figure who roams at night, stealing babies and selling them to the Zionist jews, is making the tensions rise in the city of Araba after a child has gone missing. Ahmed, who's brother was deported to Lebanon by the Israeli authorities, is the main suspect. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, Ahmed must navigate protecting his son, his family, and his secrets.
In the Ninth Month
1964, a village in Galilee. The Mukhtar collaborates with Israeli military rule. Someone is forging work permits, and the Mukhtar's son and a steady metalsmith, Mahmud, want to marry the same woman. These story lines cross when the village teacher is arrested and jailed for the forgeries, with the Mukhtar's approval. Mahmoud discovers who the real forger is and goes to the Mukhtar, whose son assumes Mahmud has come to denounce him. He sets off to burn down Mahmoud's house; tragedy follows. At Mahmud's side through his troubles is Mabruq, the village fool who, like others, particularly a young woman named Jamilah, still suffers from witnessing horrors in the 1948 war.