Director defends his bomber movie

The director of Oscar-nominated suicide bomber movie Paradise Now has said angry protesters should reply by making their own film.

Hany Abu-Assad spoke out after winning best foreign film at the Independent Spirit Awards in Los Angeles.

Israeli relatives of victims of suicide bombers have called for the Palestinian film to be disqualified from the Academy Award shortlist.

It is one of the favourites to win the best foreign film Oscar on Sunday.

"The only answer I can give them is please go and make your own movie," he said.

"I understand the pain that some people have and I think it's not a problem to protest against a film.

"It's better than to use violence."

Petition

Abu-Assad said his movie, about the last 24 hours before a suicide bombing mission by two Palestinians, was one that allowed the audience to question things.

"We all have different opinions about it. This is why we have films - you give the right to people to judge it as they want."

He said the film was still showing in Israel to full houses every night.


Paradise Now is tipped to win the best foreign film Oscar

It is to start showing in the rest of the Middle East in a fortnight, including the Palestinian territories' one cinema in Ramallah, he added. But there were already pirate copies in circulation.

A group of Israeli bereaved parents had said more than 32,000 people signed a petition against the nomination.

The signatures were collected by the relatives of teenagers killed in a bus bombing in the northern city of Haifa three years ago, in which 17 people were killed.

They believe the film disregards the suffering experienced by the bombers' victims, and will encourage more attacks.

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences declined to comment on the petition.