Wajib

Well worth watching to normalise your view about Palestine and what life is like for Palestinian people when they are not at war with Israelis, which is what the news seems to focus upon in the main.

It operates on various levels and is well put together. Another good movie to undo the stereo-typing that tends to afflict the reporting of communities and countries around the world.

After hearing about the movie, I finally watched it... But it was so painful to watch because it reached the point of becoming boring. The idea is good, but the story and treatment were unsuccessful. The movie's pace is so slow it contributes to boring the spectator. And the ending leaves us hanging on. And frankly I wanted more...

This is a movie that just drags on and on, uses a lot of improvised dialog and has a silly ending. It was a total waste of time, even for someone who is very familiar with the culture of the region. Must have been produced as some kind of tax break venture.

I have been looking for this for so long, but it was so worth it. Did not disappoint, on the contrary, it delivered in spades. So many cultural aspects that I was not aware of. Ethnical Palestinians living in Israel and the struggles they face. It's a great family drama and it delivers abundantly on that front, but it's also very political, and politics is the bone of contention between Shadi and his father. It's easy to be political and uncompromising when you're living far away. The confrontation between them at the end is so poignant and effective in delivering this. His dad had to live and keep them alive, he couldn't afford grand ideas of the motherland. That is for the Palestinian diaspora. At some point he was speaking about West-Bankers as others. And he probably perceives them as very removed from his life in Nazareth. There's also mention of Daesh and that gave me the shivers.

What also shocked me was that the Palestinian women living here are very liberated compared to those in Arab-speaking countries. They wear normal clothes, even tight and revealing ones, are sexual beings and have professions. The only downside is if you're known to have lived with a man, unmarried. Then you are out of the marriage market for good.

Living in Italy, it makes perfect sense to me that Shadi would be wearing red trousers and a pink shirt. Of course he does.

The great thing about this movie is that you come to sympathize with every character, despite their differing opinions. Even the absent mother.

A stunning showcase of everyday life in Occupied Palestine, particularly Nazareth. The portrayal of father and son was so beautiful, showing the loving and complex relationships with families and children who leave their home countries. Although this film focuses on one particular father and son, I imagine it will be relatable for many. The other characters were wonderful too and you could really imagine the lives they lived. I loved the portrayal of community connections. This film was full of love and very delicate yet informative. It portrayed the unfair treatment that Palestinians have to go through daily, from a very human perspective. Intertwining the harsh realities of life for Palestinians in Israeli Occupation, with the love of community and portrayal of everyday life. Extremely well done.