Check out the faces in the picture above and you'll have the gist of nearly every film coming out of Israel these days: She's Jewish. He's Arab. They're in love.
History has been tough on the little nation formed by the Balfour Declaration back in '48. Israel has fought endless wars with its Arab neighbors. The big ones: The War of Independence of '48, the Six Day War of '67, and the Yom Kippur War of '73. And the terrible internal war: terrorism on the streets of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Clearly, Israel continues to struggle just to survive.
But the larger struggle is a social one. Nearly one fifth of Israel is comprised of Arab citizens. As bitterness erodes the chances for peace, individuals try to come to grips with the daunting social issues of two "enemies" living together. Arab has hurt Jew, and the Jew has hurt the Arab.
Enter the younger generation, less embittered than the elders, who believe that love between Arab and Jew is possible. This is the story of this film. No need to say much more, because the viewers know from the outset that the couple will face terrible opposition: from parents, peers, society at large.
Of the new Israeli films, this one is quite gripping. We were tense throughout the entire flick. Will the cross-cultural lovers of today survive? Will their love erupt into violence? How will they tell the world she's pregnant? If push comes to shove, will their love endure?
Check out this top-notch foreign goody to find out!
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