Abu-Assad making movie about Willem van Oranje

"I want to do give something back to the country where I lived for so long". Dutch-Palestinian director Hany Abu-Assad is working on a movie about Willem van Oranje. The 54-year old director moved to the Netherlands in the 80s and tells De Volkskrant about his new project. Abu-Assad is in the process of making a Dutch-spoken international version of the story. "A wonderful story, that of Willem van Oranje: the birth of the Netherlands. New generations know very little about that", he explains.

"The fight against occupations, the creation of a new people, the treason - that speaks to me. Those themes are also in my earlier films." The director is determinedly busy with the plan. "But if it continues you never know." Abu-Assad has received his second nomination for an Oscar. His Palestinian film Omar will be in the running on Sunday for the best foreign-language film. In 2005, his film Paradise Now appeared in the same category. "Compare it with that first time you made love", he says of his nomination. "You didn't know what you had to do, you were just nervous. Now I'm really enjoying it."