NEWS

WIRES

OTHER

Musical Comedy on Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Wins Academy Award

West Bank Story tells tale of rival Israeli, Palestinian falafel stands

When University of Southern California film student Ari Sandel set out to make a musical comedy about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, many people warned him that the tragic circumstances in the Middle East are not appropriate material for a comedic venture. But since Sandel's West Bank Story premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2005, it has played more than 100 festivals on five continents and won 25 prizes. This winning streak was capped February 25 with the award for best live-action short film from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

The academy bestows the most prestigious film awards in the United States, also known as the "Oscars."

"This film is not meant to be a learning tool for the situation in the Middle East. It is not an historical explanation, or a political solution on screen. It is a movie about hope and peace and that is it," Sandel said on the film's Web site.

He said he hoped to counteract the documentaries and news reports about the conflict that present no hope for peace between Israelis and Arabs. He said his goal was to make a film that captured people's attention, made them laugh and offered a message of hope.

The story revolves around two families - one Israeli and one Palestinian - that have competing falafel stands in a West Bank town. When the Israeli-owned "Kosher King" installs a new pastry machine that encroaches on the land of the Palestinian-owned "Hummus Hut," the Palestinians destroy the machine, and the Israelis build a wall between the two restaurants.

In the midst of the tension and animosity, David, an Israeli soldier from the "Kosher King" family, falls in love with Fatima, a cashier at her family's "Hummus Hut." When their love triggers a chain of events that destroys both restaurants, everyone must seek common ground to rebuild.

The original music, written by Israeli composer Yuval Ron, combines Arabic sounds with Jewish Klezmer music and Broadway-style show tunes. The short film includes seven dance routines.

The storyline and musical numbers pay deliberate homage to West Side Story, a 1957 Broadway musical, which became a film in 1961, about rival gangs of white and Puerto Rican teenagers in New York City. The story of a love interest across cultural and ethnic boundaries also finds its roots in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.

Sandel said on the film's Web site that the greatest challenge was maintaining a sense of balance in the film. "Our fear was that we might offend one side and then turn them off to the story. Therefore, we made sure that for every joke against one side we had one for the other. Likewise, for every endearing or heartfelt moment for the Palestinians we had to have one for the Israelis. Balance was crucial to staying credible," he wrote.

He said this balance is important to ensure that viewers from both sides of the conflict feel comfortable enough "to let their guard down and laugh with the characters from the 'other side.'"

Sandel studied Middle East history, Islam and Judaism at college and has traveled extensively in the Middle East. He said his film has been warmly received everywhere it has played, including at the Dubai (United Arab Emirates) International Film Festival, and that he has had requests for copies of the film from across the Middle East.

In accepting the Oscar at the Academy Awards ceremony, Sandel said the award shows how many people support the notion of peace in the Middle East. "I truly believe that peace between Israelis and Arabs will be achieved and don't believe it is a hopeless endeavor," he said.

More information on the short film is available on its Web site. More information on the 79th annual Oscar awards is available on a Web site of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

For more stories about the influence of filmmakers and other artists in society, see The Arts.

Source: U.S. Department of State