Ajami - delusional reality and 4 more stances Israeli-Palestinian regime duo

It looks like the Oscar-nominated mosaic drama Ajami (2009) especially for What's Art Got to do With It? was made. This three-day cultural conference on art and politics was modelled around Israel-Palestine. So what could be better than a blistering feature film that thrusts our noses into the violent reality of a multicultural neighbourhood in Jaffa. Made by an Israeli-Palestinian director duo. Excitedly, Yaron Shani and Scandar Copti join the Q&A after the screening at De Balie.

Jewish or Palestinian is unimportant

Shani is somewhat reluctantly introduced by the moderator as a Jewish Israeli, to which Shani himself adds that he is of Eastern European descent. Jewish says nothing, according to him. Copti, with a wink, calls himself West Asian on this occasion.

Discussions they had while filming were about artistic choices, about how to convincingly show the insane reality. Not about politics. Thinking in parties is precisely the problem, according to Shani. The pattern of thinking that everyone is a victim of.

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Another universe

Together, Shani and Copti were able to pull off more than they could have done on their own. The actors are not professional actors but people from the neighbourhood itself. Copti knows the Arab world and was Shani's guide there. I felt like a tourist in a wonderful new universe, the latter said. Shani again was the one who shot the scenes with the Jewish policeman's family, initially without mentioning that there was also a Palestinian director.

Everyone wants to see their right

Weaving together as many perspectives as possible was the goal, according to Copti. Many films suffer from gaze narrowing, according to Shani. Viewers also like to see their own views confirmed. See what happened when Ajami (hit in Israel, also as a pirated download) was screened. Jews felt they came off badly and believed that Arabs were portrayed more sympathetically. Palestinian viewers felt exactly the opposite.

Cultural terrorist

Just how explosive the material is was shown when, shortly before the Oscar ceremony, a journalist asked Copti what it is like to represent Israel as a Palestinian. When Copti replied that he does not see himself as representing Israel at all, it caused a huge uproar. The film was even called anti-Semitic, and Copti a cultural terrorist.

Politics and market

But is Ajami a political film or not? Yes of course, replies Shani. But not by taking a side or propagating anything. We don't see two sides. The film is political because the reality the film shows is also steeped in politics.

That it sometimes seems that no filmmaker can avoid the Palestinian-Israeli issue has another reason. That conflict is in the spotlight and therefore has market value. Of course, there are other stories to tell that are completely unrelated, but it is harder to find funding for those, Shani notes.