The Wanted 18

+Filmmaker Present
+Paired with Short
+Palestine in Focus

Sunday, 11/8 at St. Anthony Main Theatre
3:00 p.m.

Friday, 11/6 at St. Anthony Main Theatre (1st showing)
7:30 p.m.

Director Amer Shomali will be present at both showings

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Directors: Amer Shomali and Paul Cowan
Feature documentary, animation, 75 mins, 2014
Country: Palestine, France, Canada
Languages: English, Arabic, Hebrew
Minnesota premiere

Principal cast: Alison Darcy, Rosann Nerenburg, Holly O’brien

“[T]he black-and-white claymation, reminiscent of “Wallace and Gromit,” is a joy, made more so by the surprise of seeing frolicsome animation in a docu about such a weighty subject.” –Variety

Synopsis: In response to the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, a co-operative from the town of Beit Sahour decide to buy 18 cows and produce their own milk. Their venture is extremely successful, allowing the Palestinians to avoid buying Israeli milk, and the cows become local celebrities. All is well until the Israeli army takes note and declares the farm an illegal security threat. Consequently, the dairy is forced underground and the cows continue to produce their “Intifada milk” with the Israeli army in relentless pursuit. Recreating the story of the “wanted 18” from the perspectives of the Beit Sahour activists, Israeli military officials, and even the cows, Palestinian artist Amer Shomali and veteran Canadian director Paul Cowan create an enchanting, inspirational tribute to the ingenuity and power of grassroots activism through a clever mix of stop motion animation and interviews.

Amer Shomali is a Palestinian artist and worked as multimedia designer at Birzeit University and ZAN Studio in Ramallah, Palestine. He uses art and technology to design posters, political cartoons and short animation to support local and international political campaigns and open local social debates. He now lives in England, pursuing his MA studies in animation at the arts institute at Bournemouth.

Paul Cowan In his 25-year career as a filmmaker, Paul Cowan has never been one to shy away from controversy. He has chronicled the rise and fall of renegade billionaire Robert Campeau, followed Dr. Henry Morgentaler on his controversial abortion crusade, dramatized Donald Marshall’s landmark battle against Nova Scotia’s justice system, and stirred up a storm of debate in the Canadian Senate with a hotly-contested docudrama about First World War flying ace Billy Bishop. His strength is creative documentaries that combine documentary techniques with evocative images and recreations. Paul recently wrote and directed the feature documentary, Paris 1919.

Festivals:
Official Selection at Toronto International Film Festival, 2014
New Orleans International Human Rights Film Festival, 2015
Holland Animation Film Festival, 2015
Human Rights Watch Film Festival, 2015
Chicago Palestinian Film Festival, 2015