Art is a way we can realise our imagination, feel its potential and piece it into a form of hope. Upon entering the Edinburgh Palestine Museum, one is not first encountered by images of ruin, but by Anani’s grand canvas of rolling hills, lush green trees, and floral meadows. Where one enters expecting violence, Anani’s painting embraces us in its haven and pokes at our presumptions: Why is it that people expect only darkness when they hear of Palestine?
“Deceptive” is sort of the operative word when it comes to Theroux — the question of how much of his bemused, questioning affect is legitimate, and how much of it is him playing up for the camera. This is what makes Theroux the perfect documentarian for a topic like this — his straightforwardness in approaching a subject cuts through the mire and arrives at a crystal clear center.
