Jesus is a Palestinian
Encyclopedia
Jesus is a Palestinian is a 1999
Dutch
comedy
written and directed by Lodewijk Crijns (1970). The parody on religious fanaticism
and millennialism
, which involves the topics of self mutilation, incest
, and euthanasia
, is the director's first full-length movie. It premiered at the 1999 International Film Festival Rotterdam
.
) goes to Limburg
to collect her brother Ramses (Hans Teeuwen
), who has joined a sect, prying him from the cult so he can consent to cutting their father's life support. The cult's leader Pieter Bouwman frowns upon sexual activity and, to prevent sex from happening, they have put a kind of lock, self-applied by way of piercing
on the male member's penises. Ramses slowly develops a mind of his own and falls in love with Natasha's roommate, Lonneke (Dijn Blom). Ramses finds out that his sister and the nursing home staff are essentially trying to kill his father (Peer Mascini), and ends up delivering his father to a crackpot zealous Palestinian who prophesies the return of Christ. In the meantime, the cult is also out to get Ramses back, but Ramses now is unwilling to return to mandatory celibacy.
, the film was a flop. The Volkskrant critic, in a sometimes positive review, summarized the movie as "occasionally funny, but mostly superficial." David Rooney reviewed the movie for Variety
and commented positively on "Crijns' spirited direction and the appealing cast."
1999 in film
The year 1999 in film involved several noteworthy events and has been called "The Year That Changed Movies". Several significant feature films, including Stanley Kubrick's final film Eyes Wide Shut, Pedro Almodóvar's first Oscar-winning film All About My Mother, science fiction The Matrix, Deep...
Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
written and directed by Lodewijk Crijns (1970). The parody on religious fanaticism
Religious fanaticism
Religious fanaticism is fanaticism related to a person's, or a group's, devotion to a religion. However, religious fanaticism is a subjective evaluation defined by the culture context that is performing the evaluation. What constitutes fanaticism in another's behavior or belief is determined by the...
and millennialism
Millennialism
Millennialism , or chiliasm in Greek, is a belief held by some Christian denominations that there will be a Golden Age or Paradise on Earth in which "Christ will reign" for 1000 years prior to the final judgment and future eternal state...
, which involves the topics of self mutilation, incest
Incest
Incest is sexual intercourse between close relatives that is usually illegal in the jurisdiction where it takes place and/or is conventionally considered a taboo. The term may apply to sexual activities between: individuals of close "blood relationship"; members of the same household; step...
, and euthanasia
Euthanasia
Euthanasia refers to the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering....
, is the director's first full-length movie. It premiered at the 1999 International Film Festival Rotterdam
International Film Festival Rotterdam
The International Film Festival Rotterdam is an annual film festival held in various cinemas in Rotterdam, Netherlands held at the end of January. It is approximately comparable in size to other major European festivals such as Cannes, Venice, Berlin, and Locarno...
.
Plot
Natasha (Kim van KootenKim van Kooten
Kim van Kooten is a Dutch actress and screenwriter. In international cinema she is best known for the 2003 Dutch/US co-production Phileine Says Sorry , filmed partly in New York, and in which she plays the lead.Van Kooten grew up in Zuidoostbeemster. She is the daughter of Kees van Kooten and...
) goes to Limburg
Limburg (Netherlands)
Limburg is the southernmost of the twelve provinces of the Netherlands. It is located in the southeastern part of the country and bordered by the province of Gelderland to the north, Germany to the east, Belgium to the south and part of the west, andthe Dutch province of North Brabant partly to...
to collect her brother Ramses (Hans Teeuwen
Hans Teeuwen
Hans Eduard Marie Teeuwen is a Dutch comedian, actor and an occasional singer and director. His work can be described as absurdist, apolitical and confrontational.- Theatre :...
), who has joined a sect, prying him from the cult so he can consent to cutting their father's life support. The cult's leader Pieter Bouwman frowns upon sexual activity and, to prevent sex from happening, they have put a kind of lock, self-applied by way of piercing
Body piercing
Body piercing, a form of body modification, is the practice of puncturing or cutting a part of the human body, creating an opening in which jewelry may be worn. The word piercing can refer to the act or practice of body piercing, or to an opening in the body created by this act or practice...
on the male member's penises. Ramses slowly develops a mind of his own and falls in love with Natasha's roommate, Lonneke (Dijn Blom). Ramses finds out that his sister and the nursing home staff are essentially trying to kill his father (Peer Mascini), and ends up delivering his father to a crackpot zealous Palestinian who prophesies the return of Christ. In the meantime, the cult is also out to get Ramses back, but Ramses now is unwilling to return to mandatory celibacy.
Reception
According to NRC HandelsbladNRC Handelsblad
NRC Handelsblad, often abbreviated to NRC, is a daily evening newspaper published in the Netherlands by NRC Media. The newspaper was created on October 1, 1970, from merger of the Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant and Algemeen Handelsblad . In 2006 a morning newspaper, nrc•next, was launched...
, the film was a flop. The Volkskrant critic, in a sometimes positive review, summarized the movie as "occasionally funny, but mostly superficial." David Rooney reviewed the movie for Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
and commented positively on "Crijns' spirited direction and the appealing cast."
Cast
- Hans TeeuwenHans TeeuwenHans Eduard Marie Teeuwen is a Dutch comedian, actor and an occasional singer and director. His work can be described as absurdist, apolitical and confrontational.- Theatre :...
- Ramses - Kim van KootenKim van KootenKim van Kooten is a Dutch actress and screenwriter. In international cinema she is best known for the 2003 Dutch/US co-production Phileine Says Sorry , filmed partly in New York, and in which she plays the lead.Van Kooten grew up in Zuidoostbeemster. She is the daughter of Kees van Kooten and...
- Natasja - Dijn Blom - Lonneke
- Peer Mascini - Vader
- Najib Amhali - Rashid
- Pieter Bouwman - Sect leader
- Anis de Jong - Guru
- Tygo Gernandt - Steven
- Micha Hulshof
- Orlando MacBean - Abraham
- Sandra Mattie - Girl making out in room
- Ferri Somogyi - Bob
- Waldemar Torenstra - Roy
- Ruben van der Meer - Osiris