After working six years on the script, securing the funding and finally being able to make “The Attack,” Lebanese Director Ziad Doueiri has found his controversial film under attack. After having been selected at the Telluride Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival, and having won the Special Jury Award at the San Sebastian Film Festival in Spain and the Golden Star at the Marrakesh Film Festival, the film had a high chance of being nominated for the Foreign Film category at the Oscars this year, said Doueiri. There is just one catch: In order to submit a movie to the Oscars, it must be sent in as an official selection from its country of origin – in this case, Lebanon.

And so in October 2012, Doueiri presented his film to Culture Minister Gaby Layoun, who handed it over to the Cinema Committee. But “The Attack” was rejected. “First, they said it was because wasn’t Lebanese enough,” said Doueiri. “And then it was because it wasn’t shot in Lebanon and has Israeli actors in it.” [Link]