Chronicle of a Disappearance

This acclaimed but rather slight Palestinian film is divided into two parts. The first, entitled "Nazareth Personal Diary," consists entirely of simple vignettes--individually often amusing or intriguing, but cumulatively signifying very little. For example, there's a funny and charming bit involving a dog playing with a bucket; it made me laugh, but what idea or sentiment writer/director Elia Suleiman intended it to convey--other than "Dogs are just as cute in Palestine as they are everywhere else in the world"--is a mystery. In the second section, "Jerusalem Political Diary," something of a story finally emerges, involving a young Arab woman who might or might not be a terrorist; unfortunately, I couldn't make heads or tails of it, perhaps because I lack the necessary socio-political background. What's more, this subplot is frequently interrupted by--or frequently interrupts--still more self-contained episodes depicting the quietly alienated denizens of Suleiman's hometown, making the two-part structure and personal/political dichotomy seem a bit specious. Watching the film is something like watching a friend's vacation footage...and the truth is, other people's travels usually just aren't that interesting. Optional. (M. D'Angelo)[DVD Review--Aug. 9, 2005--Kino, 88 min., in Arabic, Hebrew & French w/English subtitles, not rated, $29.95--Making its first appearance on DVD, 1997's Chronicle of a Disappearance boasts a nice looking transfer, but only one DVD extra: a stills gallery. Bottom line: a miniscule extras package for a so-so foreign film.]