By Nate Feldman
The conflict in the Middle East between Israelis and Palestinians has dominated the international headlines for decades now, and more so ever in the past year. Naturally, many films by Israeli and Palestinian filmmakers focus on this subject in their pictures. Of these films, however, there are some that focus on relationship building between the two sides, and not just war. Here are a list of films that do this.
Film Title: Tel Aviv on Fire
Year: 2018
Country: Israel
Length: 97 minutes
Cast: Kais Nashef, Yaniv Biton, Maisa Abd AlHady
Tel Aviv on
Fire is a 2018 satirical drama by
director Sameh Zoabi about a Palestinian soap opera writer from East Jerusalem
and the relationship he forms with the Israeli commander at the local
checkpoint he must cross to go to work every day.
Salaam Abass (Kais
Nashif) has begun working for his uncle, a soap opera producer based in
Ramallah, on his TV show "Tel Aviv on Fire." The show revolves
around a Palestinian woman prior to the 1967 Six Day's War being sent on a
mission by Palestinian fighters to get top secret information from an Israeli
general. Salaam is there to help with the character's Hebrew dialogue,
but he is eventually promoted to full-time writer. The only problem is he
has no writing experience, so he begins consulting Assi Tzur (Yaniv Biton), the
commanding officer at the checkpoint Salaam crosses through to get from
Jerusalem to Ramallah and back on a daily basis, for ideas with his
script. Assi offers his assistance in return for Salaam bringing him the
best hummus possible. This begins a bizarre, often humorous relationship
between the Palestinian soap opera writer and an Israeli soldier controlling his
movements. Assi, whose wife is a devoted fan of the show, insists the
Palestinian spy in the story fall in love and marry the Israeli general.
Salaam, however, realizes such a plotline would offend the Palestinian backers
and audience of the story. But Assi is willing to do everything possible
to make sure the story turns out as he envisions.
Tel Aviv on
Fire is an incredible movie which
remarkably gives insights on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict while remaining
humorous and depicting characters from both sides of the conflict in a
sympathetic light. The film itself is a model of co-existence with
well-accomplished Palestinian and Israeli actors working together. The
movie, both in the fictional and real world, shows that while the longstanding
Israeli-Palestinian conflict may be difficult to resolve, little bits of
coexistence and peace are already there.
Film Title: The Future
Year: 2023
Country: Israel
Length: 80 minutes
Cast: Reymond Ansellem, Samar Qupty, Dar Zuzovsky
The Future is a 2023 Israeli film starring Reymond Amsellem
and Samar Qupty. Set somtime in the future, the Israeli Minister for
Space and Tourism has been assassinated by Yafa (Qupty), a young Palestinian
woman who has been arrested by the authorities. This event occurs as
Israel is planning a mission to the moon.
Meanwhile, Dr. Nurit
Bloch (Amsellem) from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem is part of a
department that has created an algorithm which predicts a person's future
actions. This invention has been created specifically in mind to know who
is going to commit acts of terrorism. It is for that reason that she is
perplexed by Yafa's actions. Yafa does not seem like the type of person
to engage in political violence, and they were unable to foresee her as an
assassin.
For that reason, Nurit
brings Yafa to her home to begin a series of interrogations to get to the
bottom of her motives. This initiates a series of dialogues between the
two which slowly creates a slightly better understanding between them.
A subplot of the film
is Nurit's ongoing relationship with Maor (Dar Zuzovsky), a younger woman who Nurit
wants to be a surrogate mother for a child of hers. But, something that
begins to trouble her is the idea of raising a child in a country where
violence seems to be a part of both its present and future.
This film is a
beautifully acted story, which has even more meaning in contemporary times. It
does an excellent job of humanizing both Israelis and Palestinians, something
that is essential right now.
For people who are
familiar with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from news bits, this story is
important to see, not only for getting a unique perspective from the
characters, but also to see two actresses, one Israeli Jewish (Amsellem), and
the other Palestinian (Qupty), interacting with one another and putting on
great performances. This reinforces that
Israelis and Palestinians can work together with one another and do important
things together.
