Hany Abu-Assad

Infobox Person


image_size = 150px
name = Hany Abu-Assad
caption =
birth_date = Birth date and age|df=yes|1961|10|11
birth_place = Nazareth
occupation = Film director
parents =

Hany Abu-Assad (born 11 October 1961) ( _ar. هاني أبو أسعد is a Dutch-Palestinian film director. His film "Paradise Now", about two Palestinian men preparing for a suicide attack in Israel, was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2006.

Early life

Abu-Assad was born in Nazareth in 1961 and emigrated to the Netherlands in 1980. After having studied technical engineering in Delft he worked as an airplane engineer in the Netherlands for several years. He was hired having an Israeli passport, but when he appeared to be an Arab Israeli and not Jewish, he was fired, allegedly for that reason.Fact|date=February 2008 Abu-Assad entered the world of cinema and television as a producer. He formed Ayloul Film Productions in 1990.

Film career

In 1998 he directed his first film, "Het 14de kippetje" ("The Fourteenth Chick"), from a script by writer Arnon Grunberg. Later films are the short "Nazareth 2000" (2000) and "Rana's Wedding" (2002). His documentary film "Ford Transit" (situated in Israel/Palestine) was stopped from showing by Dutch television (VPRO) when it appeared to be a scripted film, including a Palestinian actor playing a brutal Israeli soldier. It caused much debate in the Netherlands.

In 2006 his film "Paradise Now" won the Golden Globe for Best Foreign language film, and it received an Oscar-nomination in the same category. In 2005 "Paradise Now" won the Golden Calf for best Dutch film.

Abu-Assad is currently filming a movie entitled "L.A. Cairo" with DViant Films Inc.

Filmography

* "Rana's Wedding" (2002)

* "L.A. Cairo" (2007) (announced)
* "Eleven Minutes [ [http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117986765.html?categoryid=13&cs=1&nid=2562 Abu-Assad joins Gang for 'Minutes' - Entertainment News, Film News, Media - Variety ] ]

References

Further reading

*cite journal | last = Provan | first = Alexander | title = The Humanist in Hany Abu-Assad | journal = SOMA Magazine | volume = | issue = October 2006 | year = 2006

External links

*imdb name|id=0009463|name=Hany Abu-Assad
* [http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,3604,1690640,00.html "It was a joke I was even nominated"] "The Guardian"
* [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2006/04/07/bfparadise07.xml "I risked my life to make this movie"] "The Telegraph"
* [http://www.christianitytoday.com/movies/interviews/hanyabuassad.html "Ticket to Paradise?"] "Christianity Today"
* [http://www.arab-celebs.com/Profile.asp?ID=172 Hany Abu Assad's Profile]

Persondata
NAME=Abu-Assad, Hany
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Abu-Asad, Hany; Abu Assad, Hany
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Palestinian film director
DATE OF BIRTH=1961
PLACE OF BIRTH=Nazareth
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=