Movie Review - Tel Aviv on Fire

This film is the official submission to the 92nd Academy Awards from Luxembourg. It's competing for Best International Feature. Luxembourg has been submitting films to the Academy since the 70th Academy Awards. None of its submissions have ever been shortlisted or nominated. Its submission for the 79th Academy Awards had been disqualified. It was almost disqualified for not being in the official language of the country, that of French or German. It was ultimately disqualified because the creative contribution from people of Luxembourg wasn't enough. It might be overlooked, but it seems as if this film might fall into the same trouble. Yes, it was funded by the Luxembourg Film Fund, but again it's not in the official language of the country and it's a question of whether or not the creative contribution are from people of Luxembourg to a satisfying extent. It was shot in Luxembourg though. The submission to the 79th Academy Awards seemed like it was more of a Polish film. Here, this film feels like it's more of a Palestinian film.

Kais Nashef (Paradise Now and Body of Lies) stars as Salam Abbass, a Palestinian in his 40's who lives in Jerusalem, which is in Israel. However, he works in Ramallah, which is in the West Bank, making it a Palestinian city. Because of the Israeli and Palestinian conflict, he has to drive through a checkpoint every day that's operated by Israeli soldiers. Everyday, he goes to work for a soap opera, which seems to be popular in both Israel and the West Bank. The soap opera is called "Tel Aviv on Fire." Salam's uncle is the showrunner and has given Salam a production assistant job, which requires him to consult because he knows Hebrew, which is the official language in Israel. However, Salam's uncle and most of the people working on the soap opera are Palestinian and really only speak their official language, which is Arabic.

At first, Salam seems like he's a bit of an idiot. He shows up to work late. He stumbles on set, but, because Salam is particular about language, he has no problem correcting the writer when a Hebrew word is used wrongly. He's then asked to help punch up the script. However, one day when he's driving through the checkpoint, he makes a mistake that gets him pulled over and questioned by the Israeli soldiers. One of the soldiers discovers that he works on the show and decides to use him to score points with his family who are fans of the show.

Yaniv Biton co-stars as Assi Tzur, the aforementioned Israeli soldier who is actually the commander who is in charge of the checkpoint where Salam has to pass everyday. His wife and family are fans of the soap opera, which is about a Palestinian femme fatale who is a spy that falls in love with an Israeli soldier whom she is supposed to be undermining. Assi's wife thinks the Israeli soldier isn't romantic enough and that the Palestinian woman shouldn't be with him. Assi decides to use Salam to change the story to make the Israeli soldier more romantic.

Salam goes along with Assi because he just wants to make it through the checkpoint without upsetting him. Salam learns that people on the show like Assi's ideas, which Salam passes off as his own. Because of which, Salam is promoted to being a writer for the show. Salam feels like he's not equipped, so he keeps going back to Assi to get ideas to help him write the screenplays. Unfortunately, the producers of the show get tired of all the romantic stuff and they want to kill off the characters, but Assi threatens that if the show doesn't have a romantic ending, Salam won't get his passport back, which he needs to travel in this area.

Through the debate over the direction of the show, we get insight into the underlying feelings on both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and a little of how each side perceives each other. There's obviously tension between the two sides. Mainly, it just stands as an example of both sides working together on something that enriches people's lives or makes them entertained, forgetting about their troubles.

There's a subplot about Salam's love interest and him taking inspiration from her. The subplot never fully connects. It feels like a tacked-on thing that never comes off as substantial as it should.

Not Rated but for mature audiences.
Running Time: 1 hr. and 37 mins.

Available on DVD and VOD.