The gripping and thought-provoking Palestinian drama Omar, which opens tomorrow, is a fundamentally a love story that drives an action thriller. It seems to be about a college-age Palestinian guy named Omar and his two buddies. They live in a West Bank Arab community that is repressed by apparently omniscient and omnipotent Israeli security forces. It’s an environment where one bad choice can spiral one’s life completely out of control – and one that is toxic with betrayals.
There are thrills aplenty when the Israeli security teams are chasing our hero. We’ve never seen more riveting chase scenes through the alleys and rooftops of West Bank cities. Shot in Nazareth and Nablus, Omar gives us a novel look at these Arab communities and the Israeli security wall.
But it is basically a love story, albeit a heartbreaking one, because most of the plot is motivated by Omar’s love for his sweetheart Nadia. The first action by the three young guys stems from politics, testosterone and the foolhardiness of youth. But everything that happens after is because of Omar’s yearning for Nadia. We also see the chaste Palestinian courtship rituals; the kids are burning with passion for each other as they exchange letters and discreet glances.
Omar is not for everyone. For one thing, it doesn’t try to be even-handed about the Israeli Occupation – everything is seen through the Palestinian lens. It’s realistic – one Israeli character in particular is humanized and it’s easy for the audience to disapprove of the boneheaded behavior by the young Palestinians. But if you aren’t open to that Palestinian perspective, you’re not going to like this movie. And the ending is unusually jarring – my fellow audience members sat in shocked silence for a few seconds.
Omar won a jury prize at Cannes and is nominated for this year’s Best Foreign Language Oscar.