If the movie year had ended last week, instead of just the first six months of the year, what movies would be the big contenders for awards?

Juan Jose Campanella's The Secret of Their Eyes seemingly came out of nowhere to beat such critically favored films as The White Ribbon, Ajami and A Prophet for the foreign-film Oscar in March.

This was an unusually strong year, with many films worth recommending. Last year, I thought the five nominees were all good choices. Unfortunately, this year was different, and two of the five nominees were not even in my top ten.

Ironically, Ajami introduce American viewers to a new brand of Israel/Palestine that seems to reflect the political, social and cultural realities of this region more than the fantasies being concocted by the PR geniuses.

No single film will bring peace to the Middle East, but films like Ajami provide a new context for understanding the Israel-Palestine conflict.