Tel Aviv on Fire

2018 / Israel / 95 min. / Colour

Director: Sameh Zoabi

Kais Nashef, Yaniv Biton, Lubna Azabal, Maisa Abd Alhady, Nadim Sawalha

Salem (Nashef) is a Palestinian low-level production assistant on the eponymous soap opera. Following a lie he tells Asi (Biton), an officer at the checkpoint he must cross every day to get to work, Salem is promoted to a screenwriter. There is only one problem – Salem can’t write, so he makes a deal with Asi to help him in exchange for Palestinian hummus and a promise the series will end with a wedding… This satirical comedy-drama is clever, thoughtful and extremely entertaining.