"Spiralling violence slowly permeates the emotional fabric of Ajami, a fourfold Middle Eastern saga that slowly blends into one monumental story of woe. The film is jointly directed by an Israeli, Yaron Shani, and a Palestinian, Scandar Copti, who prove that though they may be unable to share a country, they are perfectly capable of sharing a movie. It's no coincidence that the film's greatest virtue is its tenacity.
By auditioning locals from J...
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"Spiralling violence slowly permeates the emotional fabric of Ajami, a fourfold Middle Eastern saga that slowly blends into one monumental story of woe. The film is jointly directed by an Israeli, Yaron Shani, and a Palestinian, Scandar Copti, who prove that though they may be unable to share a country, they are perfectly capable of sharing a movie. It's no coincidence that the film's greatest virtue is its tenacity.
By auditioning locals from Jaffa and arduously rehearsing for ten months, the directorial duo took the time to both adapt the actors to the film and the film to the actors. Each character has a special place in the script, which carefully establishes context for every new face before forging ahead with the final mission: to somehow bring them all together. In Jaffa's Ajami neighbourhood, young Nasri (Fouad Habash) finds himself in trouble when his uncle (Ghassan Ashkar), the proprietor of a humble café, unknowingly wounds a member of a powerful clan who tried to sell him protection. The attempt at retribution fails and mistakenly costs an innocent neighbour his life when, in fact, the intended target was Nasri's older brother Omar (Shahir Kabaha). The only way to survive is to pay their way out."
Quoting Dimitri Eipides.
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