Wajib
Description
In Jacir’s charming and poignant new film, a father and son (played by real-life father-and-son Mohammad and Saleh Bakri) deliver wedding invitations over the course of an afternoon while personal and political tensions simmer in the background. While never shying away from the particular challenges of Palestinian Arabs living in Israel, Wajib is more concerned with the combination of love and exasperation that exists in familial relationships.
“Jacir’s strong suits are as a scriptwriter and as a director of actors. She crafts lively, believable dialogue throughout, shot through with a likable streak of earthy humor, providing nuanced characterizations for the Bakris to convincingly inhabit and bring to three-dimensional life.” – Neil Young, The Hollywood Reporter
Writer/director Annemarie Jacir has made three features, Salt of the Sea (2008), When I Saw You (2010), and Wajib (2017). All three were selected as Palestine’s entries for the Foreign Language Academy Award. Salt of the Sea was also the first feature directed by a Palestinian woman. The award-winning filmmaker continues to collect prizes for her work with Wajib, which has captured awards at multiple film festivals, winning four at Locarno, including a special prize for best film. Of filming in Palestine, the Bethlehem native says, “Most Palestinians are refugees. I can make films in my country, and I see that as a big privilege. We can be there and we can tell our own stories, and it’s important to do so. Film-making, in a sense, is a means to give something back.” (Variety)
Trailer
//player.vimeo.com/video/258419591Film Details
Language Arabic
Year 2017
Runtime 97
Country Palestine/France/Germany/Colombia/Norway/Qatar/UAE
Director Annemarie Jacir
Producer Ossama Bawardi
Writer Annemarie Jacir
Editor Jacques Comets
Cinematographer Antoine Héberlé
Cast Mohammad Bakri, Saleh Bakri, Karma Zoabi