In a particularly high-quality list of Oscar nominations for Best Foreign Language Film in 2006, a controversial story so ultimately bleak as this was never going to triumph over a tale of redemption like Tsotsi, the winner. A sombre and reflective film about the Palestinian situation and suicide terrorism in general, it's at the same time an accomplished personal drama and a tense thriller. In Nablus on the West Bank Khaled (Ali Suliman) and Said (Kais Nashef) work as car mechanics, being cheeky to the customers, messing about and skiving off to drink their tea and smoke. Their lives seem humdrum and recognisable, and when beautiful Suha (Lubna Azabal) arrives with problems with her car, it looks as if something romantic might develop between her and Said.

But the visit of an unknown man soon afterwards turns their lives upside down. Their time has come to go on a suicide mission, and suddenly these two young men are revealed to have a wholly different, unimaginable, back story.

The mission is to take place the following day, and we see the mixture of pride, excitement, nerves and sadness with which the summons is received. They spend their last poignant nights with their unsuspecting families, then in almost documentary style we watch the preparations - haircuts, then shaving, anointing, and most chilling of all the formal filming of their statements of intent and willingness to die a martyr's death. The devices are strapped to them - impossible to be detached other than by their masters, a chilling point, so there can be no second thoughts, and they are dressed in dark suits, scarcely recognisable now as their unkempt selves. The two seem both honoured and ill at ease, and when the first attempt is botched, through bad organisation, you can't help but feel that they will be spared something they really have, at heart, little relish for. But the film doesn't let us or them off so easily, and soon the suspense begins again. This time it's crueller, because we have seen their doubts and believe they may decide to take their fates under their own control.

It's an even-handed film, offering the argument for mediation by European educated Suha as a counter to the despairing terrorist methods, and giving a certain tawdriness to the manipulators of the two men. In particular the nobility of their final statements is compromised, the organisers disrespectfully munching their sandwiches while they are being filmed, and Suha, unaware of the connection to the two, reacts with distaste when she sees that films of this kind are being offered for sale at the local video shop. They have become a commodity. Meanwhile we see the mean life of Nablus, with its daily humiliations and poverty. An explosion or two in the middle distance does not even merit a look from the weary citizens. The two men are no fanatics, just acting out of despair and the wish to give some purpose to their lives. It is an enlightening glimpse into the complicated factors that make up the suicide bombing mentality. Nevertheless the film has been shunned by most Israeli cinemas, despite the fact that an Israeli government arts grant was given towards the film, and one of the producers is Jewish.

Director's statement

The film is simply meant to open discussion, hopefully a meaningful discussion, about the real issues at hand. I hope the film will succeed in stimulating thought. If you see the film, it's obvious that it does not condone the taking of lives. In my experience much of the talk and protest comes from the idea of the film, and not necessarily the film itself.

The full weight and complexity of the situation is impossible to show on film. No one side can claim a moral stance, because taking any life is not a moral action.

The entire situation is outside of what we can call morality. If we didn't believe we were making something meaningful, that could be a part of a larger dialogue, we wouldn't have gambled our lives in Nablus.