It was hard to find a seat as the Avalon Movie Theater was full with movie audience, most of them were Jewish according to the woman next to me. Since I am leaving for Israel next week, this movie, which comes from the streets of Jaffa, would increase my curiosity about Israeli Arabs and their identity.
Israeli movie, Ajami, is nominated for prestigious Academy Award and submitted to this year’s Oscars for Best Foreign Film. It was co-directed by an Israeli Arab and an Israeli Jew. This cross-cultural drama differentiates itself from the others with extensive use of nonprofessional actors. Diversely populated Ajami neighborhood of Jaffa is the main set for the movie.
Revenge killings, manipulative impact of elders, powerful families, money for blood (head money) and high crime rate were used to depict Israeli Arabs in Ajami. I don’t know whether it was planned or not but “an Israeli Arab typology” is clearly manifested.
As my aim is not to give details about the story, this review reflects the main lines of the movie.
An argument between Christian Arab father and his daughter over her secretive flirting with a Muslim Arab shows how family reputation among Arabs works as an obstacle for marriages between Muslim Arabs and Christian Arabs. It also dominates individualism.
An Israeli Arab guy stabbed a Jewish man in the heart during the fight over a “noisy sheep of Arabs”. This guy was smoking his hookah on the eve of the fight. With this scene, sheep-cultivation and hookah became connotations for the Israeli Arab identity.
It’s true that the movie successfully points the cage of social identities. However, it would be much striking if this attempt would not have limited to Arabs’ identities. Another shortcoming of the movie is that although it is based on the remnants of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, it does not question or even touch, the broad socio-economic structure that surround these “criminal Israeli Arab guys”. For instance, why didn’t these guys apply for the police when powerful Arab families threatened them to death? Why were these guys so aggressive against the Israeli police?
Nevertheless, although it deserves some criticism, Ajami is a must watch movie for the ones who are curious about the Middle East.
Kivanc
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