Bar Bahar

Got into a cinema not expecting much, but I was rewarded with refreshing story I think many can correlate in some way, disregarding the context of where the story is taking part.

It shows us three girls and their current life stories, focuses on contrast between traditional and religious on one side, and liberal on other. We follow them through Tel Aviv's nightlife where they enjoy being free, escaping their daily lives, but we also see them in front of their religious and conservative families, partners and friends. It realistically portraits a life of urban 20-somethings and their life choices and plans. It had moments where the whole cinema was laughing, and the ones when you could hear laugh from some, like-minded to the lifestyle portrayed in the scenes. But, I think everyone got disturbed by some scenes and were made to question how selfish can we be about our life choices and how much should we impose them on others.

Girls bring out the weight of their situations to the viewers throughout the film. Soundtrack is fitting greatly, giving life to scenes, but remaining an independent weaver.

Film is not exaggerating in any way, and it tastefully makes us conclude we all need to share more empathy and understanding.

I saw this film at the BFI on International Women's Day which was very appropriate. The film was a revelation. As an Israeli woman free to live my life as I please, I never gave a thought to the Israeli Arab women living in our midst who are increasingly integrating into the labour market though less visible in the social scene which is still largely segregated. The three women characters were believable, warm, expressing solidarity to each other despite their very different personalities and life styles. The theme of personal conflicts between tradition and modernity is not new. What makes this film different is that the issues are very real and current and those outside the tradition don't see it. All three actresses are very good, the script is believable and the direction flawless. Go and see it to get an insight into the lives of Israeli Arab women torn between tradition and personal freedom.

The subject matter intrigued me a lot, and there were some big, relevant topics and themes that are important and current and always worth addressing. That was my main incentive for seeing 'In Between', as well as wanting to see as many films released in 2017 in my country as possible.

'In Between' is a great, interesting and more than worthwhile film that is worthy of more exposure. It's not one of my favourites certainly but as far as 2017 films go, it is one of the year's most under-appreciated and under-viewed. Read that the mayor of Umm al-Fahm forbade the film and that Maysaloun Hamoud had a fatwa issued against her, and it is a shame that she and the film have been treated that way and really they deserve much better. Subtlety is not a strong suit, with parts that are a touch too heavy-handed and contrived, like how the characters are written at times, which considering what is being talked about was always going to be a danger. Although it might be different for others, there wasn't anything that offended me or came over as questionable.

Having said that, the points that Hamoud makes in 'In Between' are well worth paying attention to. As said, 'In Between' addresses some big, sensitive topics and themes that are very much relevant anywhere, it deals with them in a way that provokes a lot of thought and intrigue. The story, with all the various aspects of the characters' lives (like Jewish neighbour relationships, reactions to a same sex relationship, resistance to suppression and underground culture), is nimbly handled with a lot of genuinely powerful moments.

Visually, 'In Between' is deftly and beautifully shot and edited, while Hamoud directs with adept control and the writing is full of good intentions and certainly makes an impact. The music adds a lot to the atmosphere and emotion.

Shaden Kanboura, Mouna Hawa, Sana Jammelieh and Henry Andrawes all give powerful performances, especially the truly affecting Kanboura.

All in all, may not be the easiest of watches but a great and very interesting film. 9/10 Bethany Cox

In Between, directed by Maysaloun Hamoud, continues the dialogue about the equality of women. The movie begins with an older woman waxing a young female leg and sharing advice: "Don't raise your voice, men don't like women who raise their voices. Remember to always say a kind word, and cook him good food. Don't forget to put on perfume and to keep your body smooth so that he desires you."

Music then explodes and we're at a wild, co-ed, bachelorette party in Tel Aviv with drinking, drugs, and dancing—the central characters' regular singles backdrop. Beautiful Laila (Mouna Hawa) with long curly locks and a cigarette always in hand, appears bored with this dating scene. Back home the next day, she and her housemate Salma (Sana Jammelieh ) meet an unexpected visitor, Noar (Shaden Kanboura), who's come to stay with them until she can find her own apartment. Noar explains that her cousin Rafif—Laila and Salma's absent roommate— said it would be all right. These few opening scenes set the stage for a look at the experience of young Palestinian-Israeli women in today's urbane Tel Aviv. Laila's a non-religious feminist lawyer, Salma's a fringe DJ from a Christian family, and Noar's a senior at the university and wears full Islamic garb.

Through each of the women's stories related to their love lives, the film explores male domination, male attitudes toward women, and male abuses when their authority is crossed. Although the film focuses on experiences in today's diverse Palestinian-Israeli culture, the treatment of Laila, Salma, and Noar is universal. The take-away, as the three women process the denouements of their relationships, is sad, to both them and to us: Men (or most), from lovers to fathers, just don't get it, they can't see it, so they can't change. As if cemented into their behavioral genes, the men in the film (with parallels in other cultures) believe they are right about their entitlement to dominate—to tell women how to dress modestly, to not smoke, to stay at home with the kids—or to abuse them if the women resist. Women in the audience of this important movie freeze at moments when Laila, Salma, or Noar stand up for themselves to their men. We freeze fearing a physical blow, a bashing silencer instead of meaningful conversation. How do men in the audience feel during these tense, cowering moments? Undoubtedly the same. Then why can't recognition of the problem on the screen translate to real-life consciousness about equality?

We witness one atrocious punishment against Noar by her fiancé Wissam (and compliments to Henry Andrawas for playing such a horrid role). The camera and audio focus intently on Wissam's zipper going back up after he's committed his brute crime of authority, and this focus makes the audience think how a man's "instrument of lovemaking" also serves as a violent weapon. The three women helping each other through their relationship traumas give the audience another universal: women support, comfort, and work for each other and always have, and this community based on gender solidarity is the basis for their strength—their stamina, wisdom, friendship, and bedrock role in all societies. These qualities, so deep in women, contrast to the male strength of body and physical force. Thus the movie honors women but cannot say there will ever be changes in their relationships with men.

The Israeli film Bar Bahar was shown in the US with the title "In Between" (2016). It was written and directed by Maysaloun Hamoud.

Three Palestinian women live in an apartment in Tel Aviv. Two of them (Leila Bakhr and Salma) have more or less abandoned traditional values. They drink, smoke, attend raves, and do coke. We assume that their love lives also don't correspond to traditional values, although that is implied, not stated.

The third woman is Noor, who is striving to maintain tradition. Noor is engaged to be married to a man who grudgingly accepts that fact that she is a computer scientist, but would much rather she stay at home once they are married. Not a good sign. The plot revolves around all three of the women, but especially Noor.

Three exceptional actors portray the women. Mouna Hawa plays Leila Bakhr, Sana Jammelieh is Salma, and Shaden Kanboura plays Noor. All three women are strong actors, but I was especially impressed by Shaden Kanboura.

I have to admit that, although I'm hardly a traditionalist, I wish that women who want to cast off tradition could find less toxic ways of demonstrating their independence. (One of my friends says that this is the point--if you want to cast off tradition, you cast it off and take any path you like, including toxic paths.) I see his point, but smoking will still take ten years off their non-traditional lives.

We saw this film at the beautiful JCC Hart Theater as part of the Rochester International Jewish Film Festival. This is always an excellent festival, but it has been even better this year. The festival is almost over as I write this review. We've seen eight films of the ten we plan to see, and I've given every one of the eight an IMDb rating of 9 or 10. If you live in Upstate New York, get on the RIJFF mailing list, because some of the movies will be re-shown later in the year. Also, if you love movies, plan to attend the RIJFF in 2018.

This film is carrying a strong IMDb rating of 7.5. That's good, but I think it's even better than that. If it's available for the small screen, see it that way. It's an exceptional film.