Let Palestinian Film Compete for Oscar

The Palestinian film "Divine Intervention" will not be eligible to compete for the Best Foreign Language Film in this year's Oscar race -- despite the fact the film won the international critic's ward at Cannes -- because The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences does not recognize Palestine as a nation.

Let's be clear on this: the film is not barred from competition because the United States does not recognize Palestine (it does to a certain extent, maintaining diplomatic relations separate from its Israeli ties). The film is barred because The Academy does not recognize Palestine as a nation.

The Academy uses the UN list of recognized nations to determine eligibility, but it also reserves the right to use its own discretion to make exceptions. For example, "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" is a Taiwanese film (it won in 2000), but the UN does not recognize Taiwan as an independent nation. So in other words, you're a country if the Academy says you're a country. That's a pretty big political-cultural stick to wield.

Tell the Academy to use one standard for all films and to stop this unfair discrimination against Palestinian artists.