Directed by:
Hany Abu-AssadScreenplay:
Hany Abu-AssadCinematography:
Ehab AssalCast:
Adam Bakri, Leem Lubany, Samer Bisharat, Eyad Hourani, Yousef 'Joe' Sweid, Waleed Zuaiter, Laura Hawa, Tarik Kopty, David Gerson, Ramzi Maqdisi, Doraid Liddawi (more)Plots(1)
A tense, gripping thriller about betrayal, suspected and real, in the Occupied Territories. Omar (Adam Bakri) is a Palestinian baker who routinely climbs over the separation wall to meet up with his girl Nadja (Leem Lubany). By night, he's ready to risk his life to strike at the Israeli military with his childhood friends Tarek (Eyad Hourani) and Amjad (Samer Bisharat). Arrested after the killing of an Israeli soldier and tricked into an admission of guilt by association, he agrees to work as an informant. So begins a dangerous game is he playing his Israeli handler (Waleed F. Zuaiter) or will he really betray his cause? And who can he trust on either side? Palestinian filmmaker Hany Abu-Assad (Paradise Now) has made a dynamic, action-packed drama about the insoluable moral dilemmas and tough choices facing those on the frontlines of a conflict that shows no sign of letting up. (Adopt Films)
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Reviews (2)
I have to admit that since Paradise Now, director Hany Abu-Assad has clearly progressed further, and his drama can withstand even the most precise measurements and comparisons with foreign models. Moreover, it is evident that he is influenced by European cinema and adapts the pace and style of his storytelling to the local audience. I greatly appreciate the sense of authenticity. Hany Abu-Assad grew up in Palestine and can convincingly and captivatingly depict the local realities. As for the acting, I also did not find any weaknesses worth mentioning. Perhaps, I should note that Omar is a political drama that necessarily has a propagandistic dimension. Palestine is unfortunate in that it is disputed by two ethnic groups, and therefore two radically different interpretations of its modern history exist. The viewer must take into account and approach Omar's story with a certain reservation and awareness that the problem is (much) more complex since the film advocates for the "Palestinian cause." If Palestinians, who are currently at a disadvantage in terms of power, were to find themselves in the role of the hegemon, I would have no illusions about the fate of the Jewish population. Overall impression: 80%.
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It begins as a romance between the walls of two camps and ends as a brutal response to the question what the war on Palestinian land does to people. It involves raw brutality which is something no similar dramatic story can do without. For me personally it was shocking, and I will think about it for a long time. Especially the finale.
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