Discuss how these films: 1) help forge a national Jewish/Israeli identity, and what that identity is, and 2) at the same time, question or criticize Zionist ideals about the existence of the Israeli state.

1- How do recent Israeli films address the Arab-Israeli conflict? Using at least two films, make an argument about how these dramas deal with military occupation and ongoing war. Discuss how these films: 1) help forge a national Jewish/Israeli identity, and what that identity is, and 2) at the same time, question or criticize Zionist ideals about the existence of the Israeli state. 2- If a “National Cinema” constitutes the dreams, myths and ideology of a nation, what constitutes a “Palestinian cinema” (even though Palestine is not officially a country)? Examining at least two films, how do these movies’ use of filmic space (the type of shots and settings) and narrative (how the story is told and resolved) describe a Palestinian experience or Palestinian identity? That is, do these films convey a similar ideology in the same way a national cinema is constructed?