Ajami

2009 Drama

Palestinian Scandar Copti and Israeli Yaron Shani collaborated on this independent drama, which examines how the troubled relationship between their countries colors everyday life in the Middle East. Nasri (Fouad Habash) is a teenager whose family is in crisis: his uncle got into an altercation with a local crime boss, and in reprisal, his cousin has been murdered. The shooters, it seems, originally intended to kill Nasri's younger brother, Omar (Shahir Kabaha), in lieu of the cousin. Abu Elias (Youssef Sahwani), a restaurateur and respected member of the community, steps in to negotiate. Omar agrees to make a cash payment to the gangsters to prevent further violence, but since he doesn't have the money, he raises it by dealing drugs. Abu has a daughter, Hadir (Ranin Karim), who works at his restaurant; she's fallen in love with Omar, but since she's Christian and he's Muslim, they can't acknowledge their feelings in public. Also working at the restaurant is Malek (Ibrahim Frege), a 16-year-old illegal immigrant who is looking for any kind of job to help pay for his mother's medical treatments. And elsewhere, Dando (Eran Naim) is a policeman drawn into the chaotic life of Binj (Scandar Copti), a suspected drug dealer who has been arrested for attacking a Jewish neighbor; Dando is also preoccupied with the fate of his brother, who has suddenly gone missing. Ajami won a special distinction award at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. more..

Director: Scandar Copti

Starring: Shahir Kabaha, Ibrahim Frege, Fouad Habash, Youssef Sahwani, Ranin Karim

Reviews

  • Emotionally mesmerizing.

    Owen Gleiberman - Entertainment Weekly

    29 November 2012

  • One of the pleasures of Ajami, a tough and in many ways unsparing movie, is its deep immersion in the beats and melodies of everyday life in Jaffa and beyond.

    A.O. Scott - The New York Times

    29 November 2012

  • It's much too easy to call Ajami an Arab-Israeli "Crash,'' but it's a pretty good place to start.

    Ty Burr - The Boston Globe

    29 November 2012

  • The last thing you see in Ajami should be the first thing on your mind about this compelling new film from Israel. That would be the closing credits, written in both Hebrew and Arabic, separate but equal, side by side, mirroring the creative process behind this potent work and the story it has to tell.

    Kenneth Turan - Los Angeles Times

    29 November 2012

  • The main drawback to this noble effort, just nominated for the foreign-language Oscar, is that the two-hour film is unrelievedly grim and tense.

    - The Hollywood Reporter

    29 November 2012

Awards

  • Best Foreign Language Film of the Year

    Academy Awards (2010)

     
  • Best Director

    Awards of the Israeli Film Academy (2009)

  • Scandar Copti

    Boulder International Film Festival (2010)

  • Yaron Shani

    Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema (2010)

     
  • Scandar Copti

    CPH:PIX (2010)