Israel, Palestine 2007, 59/74 min, SDA Timna Goldstein Hattab & Gon Production
by Ibtisam Salh Mara'ana
3 Times Divorced
Khitam, a Gaza-born Palestinian woman, loses custody of her six children after her Israeli husband divorces her – in absentia – in the Muslim court. She is going to a non-routine struggle against the court – which always rules in favor of the husband – and to gain Israeli citizenship, which may help her to reunite with her children.The young Palestinian was married by matchmaking to an Israeli muslim and moved to live in Israel. After having six children and a miserable life, Khitam one day is banished by her abusive husband, for no visible reason, and therewith loses her children, her property and her chances to remarry.
The film follows the exceptional struggle of Khitam attempting to get her children back. This struggle, according to the society she lives in, is considered highly unusual. Khitam appeals to the courts in hope that they can make an exception and return her children, who, according to muslim law, should stay in custody of the father because they bear his name.
The film follows Khitam's struggle for her rights. Concurrently, the film exposes the pain and anguish of Mona who, in contrast to Khitam and like most of the women, accept the law and tell of her live as mother who was forced to give up her children as a result of her divorce.
By describing Khitam's struggle, “3 Times divorced” deals with the status of Arab women in the muslim society in Israel. By examining their rights as demonstrated by the Shari’ah courts, the film examines women's role according to the norms of a patriarchal religious judicial system.
DocAviv (Best Israeli Doc), HotDocs, Leipzig, CPH:DOX, Rehovot, FIPA (Second Award Reportage and Current Affairs), Munich (comp.), Thessaloniki, Seoul, Zurich, New Delhi