The story of this sensitive movie is simultaneously symbolised by the fact that the auteurs of the film itself, Adler (Israeli Jew) and Waked (Palestinian), are brave symbols of two men from opposite sides of the spectrum wishing to offer a balanced view rather than the usual generic binary framing of Israel = bad; Palestine = good.
There are, as in life, no 'goodies' or 'baddies' in this film, just people on both sides desperate for a solution and trying to make the best out of their lives that they can. This is demonstrated in the depiction of the Israeli Intelligence staff being as bigoted and untrustworthy as the Palestinian Authority, Hamas and the Al-Aqsa terrorists.
I applaud Adler and Waked for having created not just a memorable and poignant movie, but a film that represents all of the differing and insurmountable issues in Israel today.
My one regret is that it is ONLY Israeli movies that depict Israel and the Jewish protagonists in their films as being human and neither innocent nor evil (see, for example, Waltz with Bashir; Lebanon; Room 514; The Hill.) Every Palestinian / Arabic film that I have viewed, without exception, has not been able to offer this balance. The Jews are always depicted in Arabic movies as violent oppressors and the Palestinians always shown as innocent resistance fighters without blemish.
I hope that Adler and Waked will be given the opportunity to continue to collaborate and make movies that give truthful as opposed to cartoon insights into desperate situations facing Jews and Arabs in Israel. Films like this are powerful enough to transform the dialogue that we have to create understanding rather than judgement.
There are, as in life, no 'goodies' or 'baddies' in this film, just people on both sides desperate for a solution and trying to make the best out of their lives that they can. This is demonstrated in the depiction of the Israeli Intelligence staff being as bigoted and untrustworthy as the Palestinian Authority, Hamas and the Al-Aqsa terrorists.
I applaud Adler and Waked for having created not just a memorable and poignant movie, but a film that represents all of the differing and insurmountable issues in Israel today.
My one regret is that it is ONLY Israeli movies that depict Israel and the Jewish protagonists in their films as being human and neither innocent nor evil (see, for example, Waltz with Bashir; Lebanon; Room 514; The Hill.) Every Palestinian / Arabic film that I have viewed, without exception, has not been able to offer this balance. The Jews are always depicted in Arabic movies as violent oppressors and the Palestinians always shown as innocent resistance fighters without blemish.
I hope that Adler and Waked will be given the opportunity to continue to collaborate and make movies that give truthful as opposed to cartoon insights into desperate situations facing Jews and Arabs in Israel. Films like this are powerful enough to transform the dialogue that we have to create understanding rather than judgement.