Ave Maria - Palestinian short film nominated for Oscar

A Palestinian short film is one of the 2016 Oscar nominees for Best Live Action Short Film, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

'Ave Maria' directed by Basil Khalil and featuring Maria Zreik, Huda Al-Imam, Maya Koren, Shady Srour, Ruth Farhi. 'Ave Maria' takes a comedic look at an encounter between Palestinian nuns and a Jewish settler family in the West Bank.

Nuns of the 'Sisters of Mercy' convent in the middle of the West Bank wilderness have their daily routine of silence and prayer disrupted when a family of religious Israeli settlers crash their car into the convent's wall.

The Sabbath is approaching and they need to get home urgently, however, because of the Sabbath laws, the Israelis can't operate a phone to call for assistance, and the Nuns have taken a vow of silence. Together they have to come up with an unorthodox plan to help them get home.

"Ave Maria," is not the first Palestinian film to be nominated or win an Oscar but it is the first Palestinian and Arab film to compete in the category of Best Live Action Short, according to Ahram online. The nomination is also a first for both the director, Basil Khalil, and producer, Eric Dupont.

Watch a trailer here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=vC7B8q6J9s4