Asphalt Zahov

This film comprises of three short stories. Every story circles around the culture and life of a beduin tribe living in Israel. All three stories are based on true events and are acted by the beduins themselves. They are about the clash of western civilization (or intrusion) into the world of values of the beduins, where patriarchical rules and blood revenge are a part of their culture.

The director neither judges nor glorifies that life. Indeed he needed to live several years among the beduins before they trusted him enough to do the film (the director was present during the showing of the movie).

This cautiousness pays off very well and gives a nice combination between authenticity and storytelling.

The characters are very involving, the acting is superb (from the beduins as well as the professional actors). The photography revels in the strange beauty of the desert.

The beduins themselves are a widely ignored part of the Israelian people. The director (who is Israelian) deliberately tries to make the audience identify with a group at the edge of his society (they are very poor) and which is muslim.

It is a very good movie which doesn't make many compromises or avoids many taboos. I recommend it.