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`Private` Goes to the Oscars

`Private`, a feature film, has been gaining popularity ever since its debut in Locarno, 2004. Italian director Saverio Costanzo has been selected as the Official Entry for Italy for the 2006 Academy Awards. Its theatrical premiere will take place at the Angelika Theater on November 18th, 2005 in New York. The film was recently picked up by Typecast Films, a Seattle-based film company.

Inspired by actual events, `Private` is a powerful psychological drama that explores the Arab-Israeli conflict from the perspective of a Palestinian family of seven whose home is suddenly, forcefully occupied by Israeli soldiers. When proud patriarch Mohammad refuses to flee, his family is confined to a few downstairs rooms, creating division among his kin and a precarious relationship with the soldiers.

`Private` is convincingly shot in a documentary style with a hand-held camera and a quick, suspenseful pace. Already a favorite of critics, it was the winner of the prestigious FIPRESCI Jury Prize, as well as the Golden Leopard for Best Director at the Locarno Film Festival, where star Mohammed Bakri picked up a Best Actor Bronze Leopard for his performance. The film was also honored with the Silver Spike Award at the Vallodolid International Film Festival and was an Official Selection of the Toronto, Vancouver, Rotterdam, and Buenos Aires International Film Festivals.