Tel Aviv on Fire explained

Tel Aviv on Fire
Native Name:תל אביב על האש
Director:Sameh Zoabi
Producer:Bernard Michaux (producer)
Amir Harel
Milena Poylo
Gilles Sacuto
Patrick Quinet
Starring:Kais Nashef
Cinematography:Laurent Brunet
Runtime:95 minutes
Country:Israel
Luxembourg
Belgium
France
Language:Hebrew
Arabic
Gross:$1.7 million[1] [2]

Tel Aviv on Fire (Hebrew: תל אביב על האש, Tel Aviv Al Ha'Esh) is a 2018 internationally co-produced comedy-drama satire film directed by Sameh Zoabi and co-written by Zoabi and Dan Kleinman. The film premiered internationally at the 75th Venice International Film Festival in the Orizzonti section, where Kais Nashef won the Best Actor award. The Israeli premiere was at the Haifa International Film Festival, where the film won the Best Film and Best Screenplay awards. It was selected as the Luxembourgish entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 92nd Academy Awards, but it was not nominated.[3] [4]

Plot

Salem (Kais Nashef), a Palestinian from East Jerusalem, is a low-level production assistant on the soap opera Tel Aviv on Fire in Ramallah. The show, which is popular with both Palestinians and Israelis, tells the story of a Palestinian spy who falls in love with an IDF officer. Asi (Yaniv Biton), who staffs the checkpoint Salem must pass through every day to get to work, tells Salem that the show's military dialogue is unrealistic, and writes his own script. Salem uses Asi's dialogue in the show, which impresses the producers and the star, Tala (Lubna Azabal), and leads to Salem being suddenly promoted to fulltime screenwriter. There's only one problem: Salem can't write screenplays and must quickly learn.

To avoid getting fired, Salem makes a deal with Asi, who helps him write in exchange for fine Palestinian hummus, and a promise that the series' plot will end with a wedding. Salem convinces the producers to conclude the show's season with a wedding, but the Palestinian investors demand that the spy sets off a bomb at the wedding, killing herself, the IDF officer, and his comrades.

Salem gets himself out of this bind by having Asi appear in the show as a character who breaks up the wedding before the bomb is detonated. This enables Tel Aviv on Fire to have a second season and Salem to remain employed. His continuing employment also resolves a secondary plotline where he is trying to win back his girlfriend, Maryam (Maisa Abd Alhady), who accuses him of being unreliable and unable to keep a job.

Cast

NameRoleDetails
Kais NashefSalem AbbasSoap opera production assistant
Yaniv BitonAsi TsurCheckpoint officer
Maisa Abd AlhadyMaryamSalem's ex-girlfriend
Lubna AzabalTalaSoap star
Atef
Nadim SawalhaBassemSalem's uncle and producer of Tel Aviv on Fire
Laëtitia EïdoMaisa

Reception

Box office

Tel Aviv on Fire grossed $0.5 million in North America and $1.2 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $1.7 million.[1] [2]

Critical response

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of based on reviews, with an average rating of . The website's critical consensus reads, "Thoughtful and well-acted, Tel Aviv on Fire highlights the awful absurdity of war -- and proves it's possible to find humor in the midst of cultural conflict."[5] On Metacritic, the film has a normalized score of 70 out of 100, based on 16 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[6]

Awards

YearAwardCategoryNomineeResultNotes
2018Venice Film FestivalBest Actor (Orizzonti section)Kais Nashef[7]
Haifa International Film FestivalBest FilmTel Aviv on Fire[8]
Best ScreenplaySamah Zouabi
Toronto International Film FestivalWorld Contemporary CinemaTel Aviv on Fire[9]
Asian Pacific Screen AwardsBest ScreenplayDan Kleinman and Sameh Zoabi[10]
2019Seattle International Film FestivalBest FilmTel Aviv on Fire
Israeli Academy AwardsBest Narrative FilmTel Aviv on Fire
Best Supporting ActorYaniv Biton
Best Original ScreenplaySameh Zoabi
Best CastingGalit Eshkol
European Film Academy AwardBest European ComedyTel Aviv on Fire
2020Magritte AwardBest Foreign Film in CoproductionTel Aviv on Fire[11]
Best ActressLubna Azabal

Production

The film is a Luxembourg-Israel-France-Belgium co-production, and received funding from the Luxembourg Film Fund, the Israel Film Fund, YES Israeli Films, Gesher Multicultural Film Fund and Mifal Hapais.[12]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Tel Aviv on Fire (2019) . . IMDb. October 20, 2019.
  2. Web site: Tel Aviv on Fire (2019) . The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC . September 12, 2019.
  3. Web site: " Tel Aviv on Fire " représentera le Luxembourg aux Oscars . Le Quotidien . 24 September 2019 . 24 September 2019.
  4. Web site: Oscars: Luxembourg Selects 'Tel Aviv on Fire' for International Feature Film Category . Scott . Roxborough . The Hollywood Reporter . 24 September 2019 . 24 September 2019.
  5. Web site: Tel Aviv on Fire (2018). Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. .
  6. Web site: Tel Aviv on Fire Reviews . . . October 18, 2019.
  7. News: פסטיבל ונציה 2018: "רומא" הזוכה הגדול, קאיס נאשף זכה בפרס השחקן. אבנר שביט. September 8, 2018. Walla!News. April 24, 2019. he.
  8. News: פסטיבל חיפה 2018: "תל אביב על האש" הוא הזוכה הגדול. יאיר רוה. September 30, 2018. סינמסקופ. April 24, 2019. he.
  9. News: חמישה סרטים ישראליים יוקרנו בפסטיבל טורונטו. איתי שטרן. 14 August 2018. Haaretz. 23 April 2019. he.
  10. Web site: 2018-11-29 . 2018 APSA Winners Announced . 2022-05-31 . Asia Pacific Screen Awards . en-US.
  11. News: Bradfer . Fabienne . "Duelles" et "Le jeune Ahmed" en tête des nominations des Magritte . 12 January 2020 . Le Soir . 8 January 2020. fr.
  12. Web site: תל אביב על האש. קרן הקולנוע הישראלי. he. 24 April 2019.