Screening on 08/02/19
Palestine 2017
Dir: Annemarie Jacir
Starring: Mohammad Bakri, Saleh Bakri
Cert 15
97 mins
Occupation, unrest, violence, war… These words, which have appeared thousands of times in newspaper articles and TV reports on Palestine, would seem to sum up what life there is all about. Think again! In “Wajib” director Jacir, while not glossing over the problems, shows us that family life goes on as normal – well as “normal” as it ever is anywhere! Shadi, an aspiring young architect who has lived in Italy for many years, has returned to his native Nazareth to help his father in the traditional task of inviting guests personally to his sister’s upcoming wedding. As they go from house to house with the invitations, the social visits, often charmingly droll, are interspersed with acrimonious bickering over the issues that divide father and son, who now lead such different lives. Never overwhelmed by politics, “Wajib” is a touching, drily funny portrayal of family relationships and the age-old conflict between pursuing one’s dreams, wherever they may lead, and loyalty to one’s roots.
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