ACADEMY AWARD^® NOMINEE – BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

“Much messy, vibrant and difficult life has been woven into two hours. You emerge from AJAMI moved…
but mostly grateful for the heart, craft and intelligence the movie has shown.”
– A.O. Scott, The New York Times
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“A contemporary crime drama edged with Greek Tragedy. Oddly exhilarating! The movie teems with life. This is an enormously important film. (The film) is notable for its innovative style, its willingness to entertain, its attentiveness to other genres than linear-narrative realism, and its departure from… conventional war pictures. AJAMI brings a warmly generous spirit to its subjects”
– Ella Taylor, The Village Voice
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“Expertly woven. Like the gritty CITY OF GOD, it takes harrowing, tricky circumstances and illuminates them with Scorsesian snap.”
– Joshua Rothkopf, Time Out New York

“Gripping!” – Stanley Kauffmann, The New Republic

“Rarely has the tinderbox nature of the Middle East been so accurately lensed, on such an intimate scale.
The amateur actors’ rawness works both with subject matter and visual style, creating a flawless ensemble.”
– Jay Weissberg, Variety

“4 stars! Absorbing in its complexity, increasingly gripping as we grasp the myriad connections ensnaring the put-upon characters,
this joint venture between Israeli and Palestinian co-directors is impeccable in its balance, but razor sharp in its insights.“
– Trevor Johnston, Time Out (London)

“An amazingly authentic picture, powerfully directed and interpreted by a totally inexperienced cast.”
– Dan Fainaru, Screen International

Israel’s submission to this year’s Oscars: a searing directorial debut by Israeli and Palestinian codirectors whose location filming, use of nonprofessional actors and balanced perspective lend a palpable authenticity to a complex, cross-cultural drama. The film is set in Jaffa’s multi-ethnic Ajami neighborhood, home to Jews, Muslims and Christians. The repercussions of a revenge killing reveal the cultural and religious tensions simmering beneath the surface: two young brothers fear assassination after their uncle wounds a local criminal; a young Palestinian refugee works illegally in Israel to finance his mother’s surgery; an Israeli woman and her affluent Palestinian boyfriend dream of building a life together; and a Jewish cop is obsessed with finding his missing brother.

Official website

ISRAEL • 2009 • 120 MINS. • IN ARABIC AND HEBREW WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES • KINO INTERNATIONAL

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