Israel Best Films

Ajami

Film Difficulty Ranking: 3

On Mubi, Ajami is compared to Brazil’s City of God for it’s use of non-actors and gritty look at life in a city. But I think it compares better with Amores Perros because of it’s narrative structure. Produced by both a Palestinian and an Israeli, this film sheds light on what seems to be an unbiased look at Israel. Building until the last puzzle piece is added, the Academy Award nominee Ajami is one to watch!

Why Watch Ajami?

Get a feel for race relations in Israel – the role of borders and race relations makes Ajami a lot more relevant than some might think.
What drives someone to do something out of character?
Looking for a cleverly layered multiple narrative like Amores Perros, Traffic, or Magnolia? Look no further.
Be amazed at the auction-style way that family disputes are solved.

Breakdown

Nasri, Omar’s younger brother, narrates the opening as he draws a comic book. He introduces us to his neighbour who is fixing Omar’s car and then to his grandpa who he takes care of and washes due to his paralysis. It all seems pretty normal, pretty pleasant. Then two men riding on a motorbike pass by and shoot Nasri’s neighbour fixing their car.

From this point the film takes on a City of God feel as Nasri takes us back in time to explain what events led his neighbour to be shot. After this introduction, the film switches stylistically to a more natural, documentary like style. The colours become washed out, the dialogue takes centre stage, and the music is noticeably absent.

In addition, things happen really quickly. The dialogue is very punchy and snappy, not because of what the characters are saying, but how quickly people respond to each other. The narrative matches the fast pace of the dialogue. A birthday surprise happens so quickly that I felt almost suspicious of it’s authenticity. This made me start to question the authenticity of every character in the film. A lot of them are forced to act outside of their normal character.

Ajami’s genius lies in it’s narratives which are linked in non-chronological order. They come together to create a fatalistic quilt made of interlinking religions, races, and emotions.

Ajami is “a sustained gaze into a widening, all-encompassing trap” – Eric Hynes at Indiewire

Sand Storm

Image result Sand Storm Film Difficulty Ranking: 2

Want to learn a bit about modern Bedouin life in the Middle East? Well it doesn’t appear to be all rosy in Sand Storm. Explore a small village where gender roles are not always clear and rules are upheld out of habit. This is also your chance to start watching some films from Israel/Palestine. Be sure to check out the excellent Ajami and Omar after this!

Why Watch Sand Storm?

Following on from Ajami and Omar, here is another great film from Israel/Palestine (it’s currently available on Netflix)
To get a feel for life as a Bedouin, including a Bedouin wedding!
See the barren landscape of the Negev desert – it is reminiscent of the Kazakh desert shown in The Wounded Angel
Witness how different life is for men and women, and young and old

The Breakdown

Sand Storm starts with Layla driving a car along a dirt track through the Negev desert. Her father sits in the passenger seat and asks her what grades she got at school. She says she got 63, but her father does not believe her, and voices his disapproval. Despite this, she continues to drive until they reach their village where they switch seats. Because he let her drive and study, and is pretty laid back, the dad appears more liberal than we might expect.

The opening sets the scene for the rest of the film as gender roles are explored. Layla’s mother (Jalila) appears to be the complete opposite to her father. From the outset she is angered by her husband’s loose discipline their daughter. He lets the daughters do what they want, whereas she wants them to grow up to become strong wives.

However, whilst Jalila has some control of Layla, she has no control over little Tasnim. Unlike Layla, Tasnim does not help out with household chores, goes and hangs out with her father and friends, walks around town in trousers, and even gets away with standing on the kitchen counter. She always has the same excuse: “dad says I can”, which exasperates poor Jalila. In the context of the dad’s second wedding (which Jalila has to prepare) you start to sympathise with Jalila. Is her strictness just her way of trying to protect her kids? After all, she has nothing else.

Conclusion

Sand Storm explores gender roles in Bedouin society. Are women free to do what they want or are they ultimately always in the hands of their fathers? Watch to find out and uncover what life is like in a remote town in the Negev desert.

Eyes Wide Open (Israel)

Eyes Wide Open Film Difficulty Ranking: 4

Do you know much about the Hassidic Jews of Israel? Do you know how restrictive religion and conservative societies can be? Watch Eyes Wide Open to learn how religion can repress your sexuality and turn you into an outcast. Check out the melodramatic and revealing trailer below if you’re not convinced.

Why Watch Eyes Wide Open?

To learn a bit about the Orthodox Jewish religion
For a great companion to the Israel-Palestine conflict shown in Omar and Ajami. In this film you will see a different side of Israel.
Find out how difficult it can be for religious gay people
For the two main actors who manage to so much with so few words

The Breakdown

A man tries to open a sliding door to a shop as the rain pours down on him. He gives up trying to unlock the padlock with his key and grabs a rock to break the lock. After a few throws, the lock falls off. He carefully peels off a poster from the door (a notice of death) and enters the shop.

A tracking shot of the floor shows an overturned chair. The man carefully folds up the poster and puts it to the side. We can deduce who has died from the clues the director leaves in the opening sequence. The way the man carefully folds the poster notice of death means that it must be someone close to the man. And the fact he has a key shows that it is probably a relative. So when the man finds a picture of a young boy and an older man sitting outside the shop he has entered we can deduce it is an old picture of him and his father.

In this film, you need to pay attention to the film’s subtleties. The two main characters do not share much dialogue. Instead they communicate in short, clear sentences. However, pay attention to the way they say things, as this reveals more than what they say. Their short and unemotional conversation reveals their repressed emotions. The strict religious society they are a part of prevents them from expressing their sexuality.

Conclusion

Eyes Wide Open is beautifully filmed and acted. It will also open your eyes to the difficulty of living as part of a strict religious society as a gay person. You may have witnessed the difficulty of living within a strict religious society in Sand Storm or Asmaa. But unfortunately the plight of gay people in strict religious communities is rarely shown. Eyes Wide Open is one of these rare films that is also beautifully filmed.

Between Fences (Israel)

Between Fences Film Difficulty Ranking: 3

One of the best ways to understand someone else is to walk in their shoes. So, put yourself in the shoes of an African refugee for an hour and a half and watch Between Fences. You will learn about why some people are fleeing war and dictatorships in Africa. You will also learn how refugees are treated in other countries. Then debate whether we can do more to help others across the world.

Why Watch Between Fences?

Put yourself in a refugee’s shoes
Find out how refugees are treated in Israel
How would you spend a year without TV or entertainment?
Learn how art can help people to understand other people

The Breakdown

Between Fences starts with a man drawing on a wall full of graffiti. He draws a long snake across the wall. He is one of the many asylum seekers from Africa (mostly Eritrea and Sudan) that has ended up in Israel.

These refugees are all held/imprisoned at a detention centre in the Negev desert near the Egyptian border. They are not allowed to leave sight of the HOLOT detention centre. They are not allowed to go to any Israeli city to live a normal life as they are considered ‘dangerous.’ Even though Israel is a member of the UN and are required to accept refugees, the refugees were told that the human rights are “just on paper” and the UN membership is just “for the photo op”. There is clearly something wrong with their treatment.

The film-makers encourage the imprisoned African refugees to act out their history for some relief from the boredom of life in HOLOT. The refugees act out how the war and dictatorships they are fleeing from at home. They also act out their experiences with border enforcement and life in Israel. Interestingly, the directors also get some Israelis in to act with the refugees. In these parts the Israelis play the refugees and the refugees play the Israeli guards. It allows both groups to put themselves in each others shoes.

Conclusion

Between Fences provides a unique insight into the lives of the African refugees held at detention centres in the Israeli desert. The acting gives the prisoners short breaks from their dull life in the detention centres and allows us to see how they have been treated in Africa and Israel. A great film to watch for a better understanding of refugees by putting us into a refugees shoes.