In 2004 Arafat died; under no circumstances would Arafat be buried in Jerusalem, Sharon said. I remember laughing about the eternal and personal animosity of these two big figures, even after death, cynically its very funny. I thought it would be wonderful to kidnap the body of Arafat and just bury it in Jerusalem, sneaking it under the nose of Sharon. That’s when I realized it could be a good story to tell and so it started as a road movie, a heroic almost action-film.
Each time I took a taxi in the city of Ramallah, I always questioned the driver about possible roads to reach Jerusalem without having to cross any checkpoint or face the wall? Then I would question them about what they thought of Arafat? I was surprised by a common answer: who said that Arafat is dead in the first place! Thinking of Arafat I found myself working - like with any other iconic figure - on such a powerful character, always surrounded by myths and rumours.
In 2007 I realized that the story is not only about kidnapping the body of Arafat, but also and mainly, about the urban legends and stories people tell in the streets and coffee shops. In Dead Sea I want to point out the fact that there are many contradictions in the Palestinian stories about their history, exodus, sacrifices and resistance. Most of these stories end up as legends or myths. I want to question the Palestinian dream. Could it ever become a reality, or will it remain a utopia? And what are its effects on the Palestinian psychology? This dream of freedom and independence can become a mental obsession, creating frustration and claustrophobia. But, this dream can also be a strength that helps you to survive boredom and misery - as well as a disease undermining one’s ability to cope with reality.
Through Dead Sea I would like to give audiences around the world the feeling, for a few hours, that their dreams can come true and they can see it happen in front of their eyes. Even if everybody knows the story of Dead Sea, it will always remain a heroic fantasy with legendary characters: to make the body of Arafat rest eternally in the city of Jerusalem, as he wished.
It is the story of a victory, symbolic and metaphoric. What matters, is not that Arafat is finally buried in Jerusalem, what is important is that it might be true, and that a small place for dreams and hopes still exists. This film is not a pamphlet; it continues to talk about a dream and its possibility of achievement, it’s a symbolic legend that will remain.