Damn, I was so hyped to see a feminist guerilla film about Palestine/Lebanon, but I ended up being so disappointed by its political content, namely its inability to directly name Zionism/Israel as “the enemy” and instead hyperfocus on how Arab men are shitty and backwards that it lost sight of what makes it work: women’s role as revolutionaries and the vital importance of care/collective work.
Instead I left with a feeing that the director, who is Arab/Jewish, is so disgusted…
This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.
My first Fassbender, and I didn’t expect a love story so isolating and heartwrenching.
Emmy and Ali are from different worlds – an elderly German woman and a Moroccan immigrant – and yet they find solace in each other’s company. I appreciate how the film goes beyond a simple “love conquers all” story and opts for a more pragmatic unfolding. That is, it highlights how xenophobia creates friction in their otherwise happy relationship. And the gossiping, dehumanizing language, the sneers, the desire…
