Film Reviews

The Founder: Hollywood’s love affair with Ray Kroc and McDonald's

By Joanne Laurier, 26 January 2017

John Lee Hancock’s The Founder is a biographical drama about Ray Kroc, known as the man who established the McDonald’s global fast food chain.

2017 Academy Award nominations: Hollywood’s “sigh of relief” over racial “diversity”

By David Walsh, 25 January 2017

The media is now so conditioned to treat every major social and cultural phenomenon in racial, ethnic or gender terms that questions of artistic quality or social truthfulness barely receive a mention.

Martin Scorsese’s Silence and Ben Affleck’s Live by Night: Punishment and crime

By Joanne Laurier, 20 January 2017

A nearly three-hour carnival of torture and cruelty, Martin Scorsese’s Silence aims to dramatize the persecution of Catholics in mid-17th-century Japan. Ben Affleck’s Live by Night is a mediocre gangster drama set in the 1920s.

Patriots Day: An ode to law enforcement and repression

By Hiram Lee, 18 January 2017

The latest collaboration of director Peter Berg and actor Mark Wahlberg is a right-wing tribute to law enforcement following the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings.

August Wilson’s Fences—an African-American family in mid-20th century Pittsburgh

By Fred Mazelis, 14 January 2017

The film is the first screen adaptation of any of the plays in Wilson’s cycle of 10 spanning the 20th century.

Hidden Figures and Passengers: One official story, and another trite one

By Joanne Laurier, 12 January 2017

Hidden Figures retells the story of three African-American female scientists who made extraordinary contributions to NASA’s aeronautics and space programs in the 1960s. Passengers is a boiler-plate science fiction thriller.

Maren Ade’s award-winning Toni Erdmann: Slaves to modern global business

By Bernd Reinhardt, 9 January 2017

The considerable international success of the German film certainly has something to do with frustrating and bitter experiences of broad sections of the population.

Jim Jarmusch’s Paterson: A tribute to American cities and poetry

By Dorota Niemitz, 3 January 2017

Paterson is a city with a rich social and cultural history. Jarmusch pays homage to its history in his own, idiosyncratic manner.

Best films of 2016

By David Walsh and Joanne Laurier, 31 December 2016

Although technologies have sped up and made possible many things, they cannot by themselves overcome the gap between reality and its artistic assimilation and representation.

Allied: Conventional warfare

By Kevin Martinez, 28 December 2016

Despite its use of exotic locales and beautiful people, this World War II era “romantic thriller” fails to make a lasting—or much of any—impression.

La La Land and Jackie: More American success stories

By Joanne Laurier, 22 December 2016

La La Land is an all-too appropriately titled romantic musical that celebrates Los Angeles as a place where ambitious artists can strike it rich. Jackie is a murky, superficial biographical portrait of Jacqueline Kennedy.

Rogue One: Does it really “stand alone”?

By Matthew MacEgan, 21 December 2016

December 16 saw the release of the first stand-alone Star Wars film. The plot of Rogue One is an exact prequel to the 1977 original.

Miss Sloane and All We Had: Aiming at American life

By Joanne Laurier, 15 December 2016

Miss Sloane presents a fantastical view of Washington’s hired gun world of political lobbyism. Set at the beginning of the 2008 financial crash, All We Had is a limited drama about poverty and homelessness.

Aquarius: Personal resistance and isolation in Brazil

By Miguel Andrade, 13 December 2016

Filmed prior to Brazil’s impeachment crisis, Aquarius has since become an artistic point of reference (and a target) in the continuing political turmoil wracking the country.

From a reader: A second comment on Barry Jenkins’s Moonlight

By Thomas Douglass, 12 December 2016

The authentic and genuinely interesting character of the protagonists is one of Moonlight’s greatest appeals.

Manchester by the Sea: The suffering of an ordinary man

By Joanne Laurier, 10 December 2016

Kenneth Lonergan’s film is a humane examination of the suffering of an ordinary man, whose terrible personal tragedy has emotionally crippled him.

Nuremberg: Its Lesson for Today—the 1948 documentary restored

By Clara Weiss, 5 December 2016

The film, written and directed by Stuart Schulberg, was intended to advertise the principles underlying the indictment of the Nazi criminals at the Nuremberg Trials.

The Eagle Huntress is about real people—Rules Don’t Apply and Nocturnal Animals are about something else

By Joanne Laurier, 3 December 2016

The documentary, The Eagle Huntress, follows a cherry-faced 13-year-old Kazakh girl as she learns the art of eagle hunting; Rules Don’t Apply is Warren Beatty’s film about Howard Hughes; and Tom Ford’s Nocturnal Animals is a violent revenge thriller.

Moonlight: How much can a person be reduced?

By Glenn Mulwray, 30 November 2016

The critically-acclaimed film by Barry Jenkins, about a working-class youth in Miami, seeks to understand a person’s development in fairly narrow terms.

Bleed for This and The Edge of Seventeen: Are these any match for the times?

By Joanne Laurier, 24 November 2016

Bleed for This is a gritty biographical movie about a “blue collar” fighter who makes one of the greatest comebacks in boxing history. A difficult, friendless teenager finds her stride in The Edge of Seventeen.

The “madness” of war dimly understood in Hacksaw Ridge and the world set right by aliens in Arrival

By Joanne Laurier, 17 November 2016

Mel Gibson’s Hacksaw Ridge is about the first and only conscientious objector to receive the Medal of Honor in World War II. Arrival is a feeble science fiction parable from Denis Villeneuve.

Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk: Ang Lee on the Iraq war and American hoopla

By David Walsh, 15 November 2016

The drama takes place in 2004. A unit of American soldiers, who have survived a brief but fierce battle with Iraqi insurgents, are being celebrated as “heroes” on a nationwide tour.

Gimme Danger from Jim Jarmusch

By Kevin Martinez, 11 November 2016

American filmmaker Jim Jarmusch has made a documentary on the not so well-known, but hugely influential rock group, The Stooges.

National Bird: “I don’t know how many people I’ve killed,” says US drone pilot

By Joanne Laurier, 9 November 2016

Sonia Kennebeck’s film, whose title suggests that drones should now be considered the US national emblem, is a documentary that brings to the screen the story of three whistleblowers.

USA Network’s Mr. Robot, Season 2: Pessimism overtakes anger, with unfortunate results

By Carlos Delgado, 7 November 2016

After an intriguing start, the second season of the television drama about anti-corporate hackers spirals largely into gloom and incoherence.

Loving: “Tell the court I love my wife…”

By Joanne Laurier, 5 November 2016

Jeff Nichols’ film is a fictional recreation of the landmark case in Virginia in the 1950s and 1960s, which ultimately led to the striking down of state laws banning interracial marriage in the US.

Volhynia (Hatred) by Wojciech Smarzowski—a gripping account of the 1943 massacre

By Dorota Niemitz, 2 November 2016

Volhynia (Hatred) is an honest attempt to recreate the background to the murder of thousands of Poles by right-wing Ukrainian nationalists during World War II.

American Pastoral: A film version of Philip Roth’s novel

By David Walsh, 29 October 2016

The film and novel follow the life and eventual terrible misfortune of Seymour “Swede” Levov, the son of a glove manufacturer in Newark, in the 1960s and 1970s.

Certain Women: A certain anger at America’s coldness, loneliness …

… And Christopher Guest’s Mascots

By Joanne Laurier, 28 October 2016

American filmmaker Kelly Reichardt’s Certain Women consists of three vignettes adapted from short stories by Maile Meloy, dealing with emotional malnourishment and disaffection.

Michael Moore in TrumpLand grovels in praise of Hillary Clinton

By Fred Mazelis, 27 October 2016

With his latest effort, Moore emerges as a chief promoter of the favored candidate of Wall Street and the Pentagon.

The Magnificent Seven: Hollywood remakes and the problem of diminishing returns

By Carlos Delgado, 24 October 2016

The film, a remake of the 1960 original, tells the story of a band of hired guns who defend a small town from marauders.

Denial and the assault on historical truth

By Joanne Laurier, 22 October 2016

A fictional account of American academic and author Deborah Lipstadt’s legal battle with British Holocaust denier David Irving in 2000 in London.

The Dressmaker, The Girl on the Train: The “return of the native” and other issues

By Joanne Laurier, 15 October 2016

In The Dressmaker, the art of beautifying the human body is the weapon of choice to vanquish intolerance and ignorance. The Girl on the Train is a murder mystery centered around a New York City suburb.

Toronto International Film Festival 2016—Part 6

Marija, Past Life, Ember: Facing life, in different ways

By David Walsh, 12 October 2016

Marija follows the life of a Ukrainian woman immigrant in Dortmund, Germany. Past Life, set in the 1970s, comes from Israel, and Ember, about a love triangle of sorts, from Turkey.

Toronto International Film Festival 2016

An interview with Michael Koch, director of Marija

By David Walsh, 12 October 2016

At the recent Toronto film festival, WSWS arts editor David Walsh spoke to Michael Koch, writer and director of Marija, about immigrants in Germany, the refugee crisis and other matters.

Werner Herzog’s Lo and Behold: Reveries of The Connected World

Exploring the origins and impact of the Internet

By Kevin Reed, 8 October 2016

The movie examines the origins and implications of the Internet and related technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics, the Internet of Things and space travel.

Toronto International Film Festival 2016: Part 4

Sami Blood from Sweden, Werewolf from Canada, Park from Greece: Society’s cruelty to its youngest members

By David Walsh, 5 October 2016

Amanda Kernell’s Sami Blood, from Sweden, is not an easy film to watch. It was also one of the most moving and authentic films shown in Toronto this year.

Toronto International Film Festival 2016: Part 3

Loving, The Birth of a Nation: Distinct approaches to historical events

By Joanne Laurier, 1 October 2016

Certain artists are being propelled to consider critical questions, while another group is ever more consumed by identity politics and the pursuit of personal celebrity and wealth.

Clint Eastwood’s Sully: The “Miracle on the Hudson” dramatized

By Joanne Laurier, 28 September 2016

Eastwood directs a fictional version of the January 2009 incident in which pilot Chesley Sullenberger landed a commuter jet in the Hudson River, saving the lives of 155 passengers and crew.

Toronto International Film Festival 2016: Part 1

How well does filmmaking reflect present-day life?

By David Walsh, 27 September 2016

This year’s Toronto International Film Festival screened some 400 feature and short films from 83 countries at 1,200 public screenings.

Oliver Stone’s Snowden: The NSA is “running a dragnet on the whole world”

By Joanne Laurier and David Walsh, 20 September 2016

Veteran American filmmaker Oliver Stone has made a movie about National Security Agency (NSA) whistleblower Edward Snowden.

Edward Snowden speaks live in 800 theaters across North America

By Toby Reese, 17 September 2016

Following a “sneak preview” of Oliver Stone’s new film, Snowden, he and NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden participated in a live interview September 14.

Hell or High Water: A remarkable snapshot

By Charles Bogle, 14 September 2016

Scottish director David Mackenzie’s ninth movie, Hell or High Water, is a Western-influenced buddy/chase movie that demonstrates a social conscience and features superb performances.

Miss Sharon Jones! Barbara Kopple’s documentary

By Kevin Martinez, 12 September 2016

Veteran documentarian Barbara Kopple has returned with a lively and inspiring film about soul singer Sharon Jones and her battle with pancreatic cancer.

Jason Bourne again

By Hiram Lee, 6 September 2016

The latest entry in the Bourne series of spy films finds the former CIA assassin taking on the agency in a “post-Snowden world.”

War Dogs: Cry havoc? Or what exactly?

By Kevin Martinez, 5 September 2016

Based on a true story about two young arms dealers who defrauded the US government out of millions, the film is a coarse yet oddly sanitized version of a little-known episode of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

A film version of Philip Roth’s Indignation: Young lives overshadowed by war

By Joanne Laurier, 2 September 2016

The new movie, Indignation, is a relatively faithful adaptation of Philip Roth’s 2008 novel, which examines war, religion and repression in post-war America.

Comic actor Gene Wilder: 1933–2016

By James Brewer, 1 September 2016

Although his work in film ended more than 25 years ago, Wilder will be long remembered for the humor and humanity he displayed in films like Young Frankenstein.

Southside With You: An insufferable account of the Obamas’ first date

By Matthew MacEgan, 31 August 2016

This fictionalized account of the first date between Barack and Michelle Obama in 1989 presents a racialized view of society served up with a large side of banality.

The class essence of the Confederacy in the American Civil War

A further comment on Free State of Jones

By Douglas Lyons, 30 August 2016

In their attacks on the film, figures like Charles Blow of the New York Times are denigrating some of the noblest individuals in American history.

Anthropoid: A film looks at 1942 assassination of Nazi chief Reinhard Heydrich

By Fred Mazelis, 26 August 2016

The new movie remains on the level of a violent action film, avoiding a more probing look at the Holocaust.

Café Society: Woody Allen’s love letter to the wealthy and famous

By Joanne Laurier, 12 August 2016

The film, set in the 1930s, takes its title from legendary clubs in Manhattan that welcomed black and white artists and performers. Unfortunately, the film is the opposite of everything those clubs stood for.

Suicide Squad: The latest comic book film

By David Walsh, 10 August 2016

David Ayer’s film concerns a team of psychotics and criminals recruited by the US government as part of a top-secret program to combat terrorism.

Captain Fantastic: An anti-establishment superhero?

By Joanne Laurier, 30 July 2016

Writer-director Matt Ross’s film is a semi-anarchistic tale about a family’s “off-the-grid” existence in the Pacific Northwest.

Chasing Asylum: Exposing Australia’s brutal refugee-detention regime

By Richard Phillips, 29 July 2016

The feature-length documentary is a harrowing account of the systematic cruelty and de-humanisation of asylum-seekers in Australia’s offshore detention centres.

Documentary director Eva Orner discusses Chasing Asylum

By Richard Phillips, 29 July 2016

The filmmaker explained to the WSWS why she decided to lift the veil of secrecy on Australia’s offshore refugee detention centres.

Alexander Sokurov’s Francofonia: The Louvre during the Nazi occupation

By Dorota Niemitz, 27 July 2016

The film traces the history of the Louvre Museum’s art collection under conditions of war, while proposing a pessimistic view of human culture and its future.

Our Kind of Traitor: Going with the current

By Joanne Laurier, 21 July 2016

Our Kind of Traitor, a British spy thriller directed by Susanna White, is based on the 2010 novel of the same name by John le Carré, the veteran novelist.

Wiener-Dog: Todd Solondz continues to look critically at American life

By David Walsh, 20 July 2016

The new film comprises four stories, loosely linked by the presence of a “wiener-dog” (dachshund). Each has at least one or more satirical, telling moments or elements.

The life and career of Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami

By David Walsh, 14 July 2016

The Iranian director will be best remembered and long honored for the series of feature films, including documentaries, that he made between 1987 and 1997.

Michael Cimino, director of The Deer Hunter and Heaven’s Gate, dead at 77

By David Walsh, 7 July 2016

Cimino is best known as the director of The Deer Hunter (1978), which won numerous Academy Awards, and Heaven’s Gate (1980), which was denounced by leading critics, lost a great deal of money and severely damaged Cimino’s career.

Genius: “Just simply corny”

By David Walsh, 2 July 2016

British director Michael Grandage’s film is about American novelist Thomas Wolfe (Jude Law) and his famous editor, Maxwell Perkins (Colin Firth).

Charles Blow of the New York Times

The right-wing, racialist attacks on the film Free State of Jones

By David Walsh, 30 June 2016

Free State of Jones, about a white farmer in Mississippi who led an insurrection against the Confederacy from 1863 to 1865, has come under sharp attack from the “new right” of identity politics advocates.

Free State of Jones: Three cheers!

By Joanne Laurier, 28 June 2016

Gary Ross’s film is a fictional account of an intriguing, but little known chapter in American history.

Alf Sjöberg’s Miss Julie (1951) and G. W. Pabst’s The Threepenny Opera (1931): Films worth noting … and seeing

By Joanne Laurier, 23 June 2016

Swedish filmmaker Alf Sjöberg’s Miss Julie is based on the play by August Strindberg. Austrian filmmaker G.W. Pabst’s film The Threepenny Opera is an intricate movie version of the legendary Bertolt Brecht-Kurt Weill work.

Censored Voices: A snapshot in time reveals war crimes

By Fred Mazelis, 22 June 2016

An Israeli filmmaker has brought 50-year-old tape recordings about the Six-Day War and their implications to life on the screen.

“All the terrifying things all really happened”

Toyen: A film about the Czech surrealist painter and her times

By David Walsh, 18 June 2016

Czech director Jan Němec, who died in March 2016, made a film about the surrealist painter Toyen in 2005, which is now available. The film is intriguing and sometimes deeply moving.

The Nice Guys: Something, but not very much

(And, briefly, Terence Davies’ Sunset Song and Hany Abu-Assad’s The Idol.)

By David Walsh and Joanne Laurier, 17 June 2016

The Nice Guys is set in 1977 and follows the investigation into a disappearance, which turns out to be part of a broader conspiracy. Sunset Song and The Idol have recently opened in movie theaters in the US.

The Lobster: Relationships forced on—or forbidden—people

By David Walsh, 11 June 2016

In Yorgos Lanthimos’ film, individuals without a mate are sent to a “hotel” where they have 45 days to find a partner or be turned into an animal. Then, there are those who escape.

HBO’s All the Way: Lyndon B. Johnson and the civil rights movement

By Charles Bogle, 10 June 2016

HBO’s All the Way is a serious effort, devoid of contemporary identity politics, to portray a significant moment in American history.

Love & Friendship: An early Jane Austen work adapted

By Joanne Laurier, 8 June 2016

In England in 1790, Lady Susan Vernon, widowed and penniless, schemes to reverse her fortunes.

Sing Street from Ireland, A Bigger Splash from Italy: Neglected realities

By Joanne Laurier, 28 May 2016

John Carney’s Sing Street is a musical comedy-drama set in Dublin in the mid-1980s. Italian filmmaker Luca Guadagnino’s A Bigger Splash, based on a 1969 French thriller, takes its name from a painting by British artist David Hockney.

High-Rise: A film version of J.G. Ballard’s novel

By David Walsh, 27 May 2016

Like the novel, the film—set in the mid-1970s—begins with its central character calmly sitting on the balcony of his 25th floor apartment eating roast dog.

Cash Only: What interests contemporary filmmakers and what doesn’t

By David Walsh, 25 May 2016

Cash Only is an independent American film set in the Detroit area. The film takes place in the Albanian community.

Captain America: Civil War—A waste of resources, technology and human skill

By David Walsh, 23 May 2016

What are these performers doing in this film? Is there any major film actor at present who would say “No” to this sort of project?

San Francisco International Film Festival—Part 4

Maggie’s Plan, Frank & Lola, along with Dreyer’s Vampyr (1932)

By Joanne Laurier, 20 May 2016

Some not very good new films—and better old ones.

Money Monster: Who are the criminals?

By Joanne Laurier, 18 May 2016

Money Monster is the latest film to depict the consequences of the 2008 financial crash and the criminal manipulations of the financial elite.

San Francisco International Film Festival—Part 3

Radio Dreams, about Iranian Americans—and the problem of images without insight

By David Walsh, 17 May 2016

Radio Dreams is a pleasurable experience. Other films at the San Francisco festival––The Event, No Home Movie, Counting, Five Nights in Maine––fared less well.

An interview with Babak Jalali, director of Radio Dreams

By David Walsh, 17 May 2016

The WSWS spoke to Babak Jalali during the recent San Francisco International Film Festival.

San Francisco International Film Festival—Part 2

The Return, about released prisoners, and other social dramas (or comedies)

By Joanne Laurier, 13 May 2016

In a number of the films screened at the festival, their creators were evidently overwhelmed by the disintegrating social structures in some of the most impoverished parts of the world.

San Francisco International Film Festival—Part 1

Look at today’s filmmaking … then look at the world

By David Walsh, 11 May 2016

The recent San Francisco International Film Festival, in its 59th edition, screened some 175 films, including approximately 100 feature-length films, from 46 countries.

Everybody Wants Some!!—Richard Linklater goes to college

By Hiram Lee, 10 May 2016

Everybody Wants Some!! is the latest coming-of-age tale from the American independent film director.

Looking for Grace—a strangely cold story about a teenager leaving home

By John Harris, 9 May 2016

The movie centres on the efforts of a lower middle-class couple to find their runaway teenage daughter and only child.

Retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art in New York

Are the films of Jean-Marie Straub and Danièle Huillet a genuine alternative to contemporary filmmaking?

By David Walsh, 7 May 2016

The Museum of Modern Art in New York City, beginning May 6, is presenting a retrospective of the films of Jean-Marie Straub and Danièle Huillet, the Franco-German filmmakers.

Elvis & Nixon, A Hologram for the King: Trivializing culture, history

By Joanne Laurier, 6 May 2016

Two ostensible comedies, Elvis & Nixon and A Hologram for the King, drain their stories of their most important social and historical content.

Papa: Hemingway in Cuba—The banalization of the novelist and his art

By David Walsh, 4 May 2016

The film follows the relationship that develops after a young American journalist in Miami in the mid-1950s writes an admiring letter to novelist Ernest Hemingway, then living in Havana, Cuba.

Songs My Brothers Taught Me: The plight of a Lakota youth

By Norisa Diaz and Kevin Martinez, 2 May 2016

The film is a lyrical and honest look at the poverty and social neglect that affects one of the most historically oppressed communities in the United States.

Class Divide: A close-up look at gentrification, inequality in New York City

By Fred Mazelis, 29 April 2016

Children of hedge fund managers attend private school on Manhattan’s Tenth Avenue, across the street from one of the city’s public housing projects.

Demolition: Take an investment banker apart, and what do you find?

By Carlos Delgado, 20 April 2016

The film tells the story of Davis Mitchell (Jake Gyllenhaal), a New York investment banker who experiences an emotional unraveling after his wife dies in an automobile accident.

Midnight Special: “Shining the light” on unfreedom in America

By Joanne Laurier, 15 April 2016

Jeff Nichols’ Midnight Special is a disturbing science fiction thriller that conveys deep anxiety about the state of the world.

The Program: The success and calamitous failure of Lance Armstrong

By David Walsh, 9 April 2016

The latest film from veteran British director Stephen Frears dramatizes the saga of cyclist Lance Armstrong’s rise to the top and his subsequent disgrace in a doping scandal.

Born to Be Blue and Miles Ahead: Why so much fiction when life is fascinating enough?

By John Andrews, 7 April 2016

Films based on the lives and personas of post-World War II jazz musicians Chet Baker and Miles Davis have been released recently.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice—Doom and gloom, with capes

By Carlos Delgado, 6 April 2016

The price tag of the film, including production and marketing costs, approaches half a billion dollars, and some analysts believe it would need an $800 million box office to recoup its investment.

San Diego Latino Film Festival 2016—Part 3

From Cuba a grim drama (La obra del siglo) and from Argentina a political thriller (El Clan) and a road trip (Camino a La Paz)

By Kevin Martinez and Toby Reese, 1 April 2016

The festival showcased films and documentaries from throughout the Spanish-speaking world, including Cuba, Spain, Mexico, and South and Central America.

Eye in the Sky: The liberal war on terror

By Joanne Laurier, 31 March 2016

Eye in the Sky is a political-military thriller in which British and American officials weigh the consequences of a drone strike in Nairobi, Kenya.

San Diego Latino Film Festival 2016—Part 1

Films from Argentina, Spain and Guatemala: El Movimiento, Hablar, Ixcanul and Tras Nazarin

By Kevin Martinez and Toby Reese, 28 March 2016

The festival showcased films and documentaries from throughout the Spanish-speaking world, including Cuba, Spain, Mexico, South and Central America.

I Saw the Light: A biography of country singer Hank Williams

By David Walsh, 26 March 2016

Marc Abraham’s film is an account of the last decade in the life of American country music performer Hank Williams (1923-1953), who died tragically at the age of 29.

Atom Egoyan’s Remember: A Nazi criminal hunted…

By Joanne Laurier, 25 March 2016

Two Auschwitz concentration camp survivors plot to kill the SS guard who murdered their families in Atom Egoyan’s latest film, Remember, a psychological drama.

Terrence Malick’s Knight of Cups: It is impossible to learn anything from this

By David Walsh, 19 March 2016

Thematically and stylistically, Malick’s latest film follows in the footsteps of his two previous efforts, The Tree of Life (2011) and To the Wonder (2012).

66th Berlin International Film Festival—Part 4:

Flight and persecution—yesterday and today (The Diary of Anne Frank and Meteorstraße)

By Bernd Reinhardt, 14 March 2016

A new adaptation of the immortal Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank, about Nazi persecution, and a film about Palestinian refugees in contemporary Germany.