It Must Be Heaven

The formula used in It Must Be Heaven is similar to the Palestinian master director Elia Suleiman’s earlier films: Suleiman’s alter ego, ES, is exploring the meaning that lies in words such as “identity” and “homeland”. The result is a highly enjoyable story where the mute ES travels from his hometown Nazareth, where his lemon tree is frequently watered by his neighbor, to Paris, where he tries to write, but is interrupted by an insisting bird on his keyboard – and on to New York to sell the script for his latest film. He meets many obscure characters on his journey, and the film consists of a series of choreographed sequences reflecting on life outside Palestine being just as absurd as the day to day life within Palestine.

It Must Be Heaven competed for the Palme d’Or in Cannes last year, and rightly so. The film is aesthetically pleasing, and even if the storyline can seem simple at times, it has an elemental desire to convey something about the Palestinian identity many have opinions on, but few manages to articulate concretely. As a viewer, you need to decide to indulge yourself in Suleiman’s absurdity to fully grasp It Must Be Heaven. It is both challenging and entertaining, making this a film it is impossible not to have an opinion on.

Elia Suleiman (b. 1960) might be the most famous of Palestinian directors, with several international films. His most well-known films are Chronicle of a Disappearance (1997), Divine Intervention (2002) and The Time That Remains (2009), all adressing the absurdity in the conflict between Israel and Palestine. His latest film, It Must Be Heaven, premiered in Cannes in 2019 where it was nominated to the Palme d’Or.