Circus Palestine

{{Infobox film

| name = Circus Palestine

| image = Circus Palestine.jpg

| alt =

| caption = Film poster

| native_name = קרקס פלשתינה

| director = Eyal Halfon

| producer = Anat Bikel
Uri Sabag
Haim Sharir
Yulie Cohen
Marek Rozenbaum

| writer = Eyal Halfon

| screenplay =

| story =

| based_on =

| starring = Yoram Hattab
Jenya Dodina
Amos Lavi
{{ill|Vladimir Friedman|he|ולדימיר פרידמן}}
Bassam Zuamut
Rinan Haim

| narrator =

| music = Shlomo Gronich

| cinematography = Valentin Belonogov

| editing = Tova Asher

| studio = Paralite Films
Transfax Film Productions Ltd

| distributor = Sisu Home Entertainment

| released = {{film date|1998|11|26|df=yes}}

| runtime = 83 minutes

| country = Israel

| language = Hebrew

| budget =

}}

Circus Palestine ({{langx|he|קרקס פלשתינה}}, translit. Kirkas Palestina) is a 1998 Israeli political satire film directed by Eyal Halfon, which was nominated for seven Israeli Film Academy Awards, winning five.{{cite web|title=Circus Palestina|url=http://www.israelfilmcenter.org/israeli-film-database/films/circus-palestina/awards|website=Israel Film Center|publisher=Jewish Community Center|accessdate=1 July 2015|location=Manhattan, New York|archive-date=6 December 2015|archive-url=https://archive.today/20151206101625/http://www.israelfilmcenter.org/israeli-film-database/films/circus-palestina/awards|url-status=dead}}

The film allegorically discusses the relationships between Israelis and Palestinians and the Israeli-Arab conflict. It was selected as the Israeli entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 71st Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee.Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences{{cite web |title=45 Countries Submit Films for Oscar Consideration |publisher=Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences |date=19 November 1998 |url=//www.oscars.org/pressreleases/98.11.19.html |accessdate=20 October 2015 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/19990219094343/http://www.oscars.org/pressreleases/98.11.19.html |archivedate=19 February 1999 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}

Plot

A Russian circus arrives on the West Bank during the intifada. The war rages, the circus acts perform and a lion escapes in the middle of the night. An Israeli officer falls in love with the lion tamer and helps her search for it. They encounter the absurdities of life living under a military occupation. Though an unlikely plot, it was based on a true story.{{cite book|editor-last1=Leaman|editor-first1=Oliver |title=Companion encyclopedia of Middle Eastern and North African film|date=2001|publisher=Routledge|location=London|isbn=0-203-42649-5|pages=281–282|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LmSFAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA281|accessdate=1 July 2015}}{{cite news|title="Circus Palestina" Wows L.A. Moviegoers|url=http://www.wrmea.org/1999-march/circus-palestina%C2%9D-wows-l.a.-moviegoers.html|accessdate=1 July 2015|publisher=Washington Report on Middle East Affairs|date=March 1999|pages=103–104}}