Origin: Israel Germany | Fiction | Director: Scandar Copti & Yaron Shami | 124 minutes

---

Ajami

Scandar Copti & Yaron Shani

The film contains five story lines, each of which is presented in a non-
chronological fashion. Some events are shown multiple times from varying
perspectives. A young Israeli Arab boy, Nasri, who lives in the Ajami
neighborhood of Jaffa, narrates the film.

In the first story, Nasri's neighbor-a teenage boy-is shot to death by a
well-known Bedouin clan in a drive-by shooting while working on his car.
Nasri explains that the intended target was his older brother Omar, who had
previously sold the car to the neighbor. The botched hit was revenge for a
loss of one of Bedouin clan members, who was shot and paralyzed by Nasri's
uncle in a dispute. Nasri and his younger sister are sent to Jerusalem,
while Omar, his mother, and grandfather stay behind. Fearing for his
family's safety, Omar seeks protection and guidance from Abu Elias, an
affluent restaurant owner, and well known and respected member of the Jaffa
community. Abu Elias arranges for a three day cease fire, and hires a
lawyer to represent Omar in tribal court. During this time, Nasri and his
sister return home. At the conclusion of the court session, the judge
declares that Omar must pay tens of thousands of dinars-the equivalent of
tens of thousands of US dollars-so peace can be restored. Omar is given
three weeks to make good on his payment. Omar and his friend Shaata attempt
petty crime in order to come up with the finances, but are unsuccessful at
bringing in enough money. Omar's mother attempts to persuade him to escape
with the family, but Omar refuses to leave, believing that there is no
place to run to.

The second story introduces a young teenaged boy named Malek who lives in
the Palestinian territory of Nablus. Malek is illegally employed in Abu
Elias's restaurant, and works out of desperation to make enough money for
his ailing mother's bone marrow transplant surgery. Malek is friends with
Omar, who has also become a recent employee at the restaurant. It is also
revealed that Omar, a Muslim, is in love with Abu Elias's daughter Hadir, a
Christian. Abu Elias, once discovering the secret couple later in the film
by catching them in the surreptitious act of flirtation, does not approve
of their relationship, and angrily fires Omar, warning him to stay away
from his daughter.

The third story shows a brief, but violent encounter between an older
Jewish man and his three young drug dealing Arab neighbors. The dispute
begins when the Jewish man complains to the young men that he has not been
able to sleep, due to the fact that their bleating sheep keep him up all
night. The disagreement soon escalates, and one of the young men mortally
stabs the Jewish man. The three young men go into hiding before the police
arrive. Amongst the policemen who arrive at the scene is an Israeli officer
named Dan, nicknamed Dando by his friends. Viewers learn that Dando's
younger brother Yoni has gone missing during his service in the Israeli
Defense Forces. While rumors circulate that Yoni may have run away and
became very religious, Dando's family-mother and father specifically-
suspect that he may have been kidnapped or murdered by a Palestinian
terrorist organization. Dando-a family man with a wife and kids-has
remained strong for his emotionally broken family, as they make attempts at
locating his brother. Later in the story, Dando is informed that the army
has discovered the remains of what is believed to be a murdered Israeli
soldier in the Palestinian territories. It is soon thereafter confirmed
that the remains are Yoni's, and Dando-emotionally traumatized-vows to find
the murderer and bring him to justice.

In the fourth story, viewers learn of the character Binj (who is played by
co-director Scandar Copti) an eccentric cook who works in Abu Elias's
restaurant. He is also close friends with Omar, Shaata and Malek. Binj is
in love with a Jewish girl from Tel Aviv, and is thinking of moving in with
her, much to the dismay of his group of friends. It is revealed that Binj's
brother was one of the three involved in the stabbing of the Jewish man in
Jaffa. Both Binj and his father are taken in and interrogated by the
police. After his release, Binj reluctantly agrees to accept a great deal
of drugs that belongs to his brother who is still on the run. Early one
morning, after a social gathering in his house, Binj awakes Malek so he
won't be late to the restaurant's opening and hides in his presence the
brick of drugs. Just when Malek is leaving he sees three Hebrew speaking
men enter Binj's house. When Binj is found dead in his apartment not long
afterward, Malek and Omar initially suspect that he was murdered by a group
of Israeli drug dealers. It is later revealed that those three men were
actually policemen who came to search Binj's house and intimidate him into
revealing his brother's location. Having to leave after he told them
nothing the police promises Binj to return. Binj, tired from the situation
and annoyed by the ongoing harresment of the police, discarded the majority
of the drugs, put sugar powder inside packages mimicking drug bricks and
hid them around the house in an attempt to mock the police, should they
ever return. Binj then proceeds to snort the remainder of drugs he did not
discard and accidentally dies of a drug overdose. All of this is
unbeknownst to Malek and Omar who, after Binj's death, takes one of the
hidden mock-drug packages and, thinking it is the drugs, decides to sell it
to a drug dealer in an attempt to pay off their respective debts. Abu Elias
learns of their plans and tips off the police, thinking Omar will be
caught, thus ending the relationship between Omar and his daughter.
Initially, Abu Elias fires Malek after learning of his involvement with
drugs, but after Malek's pleading and after learning that Omar will not go
alone to the exchange he changes his mind, and instructs Malek to meet the
dealers with Omar, but warns him not to carry the drugs on his person. He
assures Malek that once Omar is taken into custody by the police, Malek can
return to the restaurant and that his sick mother will be taken care of.
Like Omar and Malek however, Abu Elias does not realize that the drugs are
fake.

The fifth story shows the encounter between Omar, Malek, and the drug
dealers. Toward the beginning of the film, viewers are shown the scene, and
initially led to believe that Malek was shot to death by the drug dealers,
once they discovered the drugs were fake. It is revealed later however,
that the dealers were actually policemen executing a sting operation. It is
also revealed that Omar's younger brother Nasri insisted on accompanying
Omar and Malek to the meeting, afraid that something bad would happen to
his brother. Upon arrival, Omar tells Nasri to stay in the car, and at
Malek's urging, leaves his gun behind as well. At the meeting, the police
tackle and beat Omar and Malek after they discover the drugs are fake.
Dando, who is a part of the sting, sees Malek with the pocket watch he
planned to give Abu Elias as a present. Dando believes that the watch
belonged to Yoni and in a fit of rage beats Malek and aims his gun at him
with the intent to murder him. However Nasri, who hadn't stayed in the car
as ordered, sees the gun pointed at Malek, and shoots Dando with Omar's
gun. He is then shot and killed by another officer. The film ends with Omar
escaping down an alleyway and getting back to the car, only to discover
that Nasri is missing.
trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRfxD2NFVq4

---

View trailer