Alam

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Alam [2022]

Starring: Sereen Khass, Saleh Bakri, Mohammad Karaki

Direction by Firas Khoury

Language: Arabic

I saw this movie in October, but deleted the original review I posted. So I will start this one with a disclaimer. As someone who is an objective viewer of movies, I would like to remain strictly apolitical when talking about this one. With the intensity of recent events in the Gaza Strip, I don't want this blog to be a vessel through which more hate is sparked. 

In the UAE, there are large numbers of Palestinians, and few Israelis. Because of the greater Palestinian influence, there is a greater opportunity to watch Palestinian films: I have, to this day, not seen Hebrew movies come to my local cinemas. 

This movie was an interesting one, and looking back on watching it, I definitely have mixed feelings. But I'll start with a positive. I see film as being a fitting medium for promoting national identity and a sense of pride. As such, the fact that a country such as Palestine, which has been affected by so much conflict in recent decades, is still producing films is incredibly significant. That is always a plus. 

Furthermore, I thought that the movie was very poignant, particularly towards the end. When there is a protest about liberation in the West Bank, and a teenager dies, I was incredibly moved. I saw the movie with some Palestinian friends, and they told me that no story about their country would be complete without incorporating some element of distress and desperation. By watching this movie, especially the concluding scenes, I am able to understand Palestinian attitudes towards border disputes more clearly. 

But there were negatives about it too. There was a portion of the movie where I fell asleep - and that's not a good sign. As such, it is clear to say that the pacing of the the movie was quite disjointed. There was so much potential for the movie to be more tense, more gripping, given the combative nature of conflict in the country. But I found that, by focusing on the teenage experience in Palestine, a lot of opportunity for intensity was missed. The intense portions came through very strongly at the end, and not so much in the middle. 

The plotline was also a little bit strange. The movie centres around a group of teenagers who want to replace the Israeli flag on their school in the West Bank to a Palestinian one. That had the potential to be a very strong idea if that was the main thread being weaved throughout the story. However, the movie sometimes focused on irrelevant ideas and themes. As such, there were times where I was slightly confused. Maybe that's why I fell asleep. 

Was this movie worth watching? I would say a tentative yes. If not for anything else, watch it for the final scenes. It is good for understanding the Palestinian mindset, and it packed with poignancy and drama right at the end. 

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