Mon fils

The Israeli film "Dancing Arabs" was shown in the U.S. as "A Borrowed Identity." It was directed by Eran Riklis. The movie stars Tawfeek Barhom as Eyad, a Palestinian boy who is an Israeli citizen. Although his plight isn't as bad as a non-Israeli Palestinian, he is nonetheless a second-class citizen. (Palestinian citizens work in restaurants as dishwashers. Jewish citizens work as waiters.)

Despite being Palestinian, Eyad is allowed to attend a prestigious Israeli boarding school. Naturally, he's the target of racial slurs, but he isn't physically injured, and he moves forward toward adulthood. As part of a class assignment, he meets Jonathan (Michael Moshonov), a young man who has progressive muscular dystrophy. He also meets an Israeli girl, Naomi, played by Daniel (Danielle) Kitsis. Naomi is intelligent and loving, but the question is whether their relationship has a future, because of their cultural and religious differences.

The plot moves in unexpected directions, and the movie is emotionally powerful and gripping. The acting is excellent, and I think the plot represents a balanced picture of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, as it plays out among individuals.

We saw this movie at the Little Theatre in Rochester, as part of the highly successful Rochester International Jewish Film Festival. The film will work well on the small screen.

The film started off innocently, much like Eyad / Iyad is at the beginning. It's sweet, funny and almost carefree and gets serious overtime as Eyad grows up and tries to understand and fit into this adult world. Dancing Arabs' comedic tone reflects Eyad's childhood innonce, the tension and drama later on in the movie attests of this young arab's struggles to find his place and his identity around jews in Israel.

Eran Riklis succeeded in capturing Iyad's evolution in My son, coherently interlacing different tones and getting a good performance out of Razi Gabareen & Tawfeek Barhom who both embody Eyad's life. Years of Eyad's life are smartly intertwined with the tensions in the region and Eyad's choices. Although Riklis, very skillfully took on a difficult subject and managed to make a movie advocating coexistence, My Son felt at times a bit too sugar coated. There's no denying that it is about Eyad and his journey to self discovery but some of the characters - although secondary - completely lacked substence or development. The mothers for instance, both brilliantly played by Abecassis & Eido kind of lacked personality. The Arab-Israeli tensions are in the film but they are addressed very subtle, hinted.

The cast nicely played the bonds and chemistry between the characters. Tawfeek Barhom, awkwardness and isolation in his new surroundings is on point. He is utterly believable and convincing as the good- intentioned young arab who wants to fit in. My Son is a beautiful, funny film shining a good light on both population.

@wornoutspines

Director Eran Riklis is a filmmaker with great responsibilities on his shoulders. Although Arabs citizens are a minority in Israel, no special treatment is reserved for them. This aspect of Israeli society, its rules and regulations have been depicted by him in this film. It revolves around a young boy who has to make personal sacrifices in order to be accepted in Israeli society. It is no surprise that his life undergoes major upheavals when he is accepted with some reticence, reservations in a prestigious boarding school in Jerusalem. It is not a generalization when it is said that anybody can face issues related to culture, identity and language. If watched from this perspective, 'Dancing Arabs' is neither 100% pro Arab nor 100% anti Israel. "What does it mean to be an Arab in Israel ?" This key questions emanates from this film. 'Dancing Arabs' was the opening film during 19th International Film Festival of Kerala. Its lead actor Tawfik Barhom was the darling of the local media in Kerala state of India for more than a week. Before him, no other actor from Israeli cinema managed to become so popular.

I am an Israeli. There will be no spoilers here. (And sorry for my spelling mistakes).. This is very good movie tries to show both sides from one persons view.... So it is very very real.. It shows that we are just the software someone puts into us... Which means software can change and your software is only valid were you are now... It is not Valid for the future nor in a different culture. This also shows how we judge people just because of their name appearance or religion!

Very very very good movie.

In the 80's, the Palestinian Eyad Barhum is a smart boy that lives with his father, his mother, his two brothers and his grandmother in a small village. His father works picking fruits despite had going to the college because he was a terrorist when he was young. Eyad (Tawfeek Barhom) is accepted by the best high school in Jerusalem and leaves his family to stay in the boarding school. He befriends his Jewish roommate Yonatan Avrahami (Michael Moshonov), who has a degenerative muscular disease, and his Jewish schoolmate Naomi (Danielle Kitsis). Soon Eyad and Naomi fall in love with each other, but they date in secret since Palestinian are not accepted by the Jewish in general. When Naomi's mother learns that she is dating an Arab boy, she takes her daughter out of the school. However, Eya quits school to let his beloved girlfriend continue studying while he studies in homeschooling. When his father learns that he left the prestigious school, he kicks Eyad out of home. Now Eyad needs to find a job, but Arabs can only wash dishes and do not work as waiter, He decides to borrow Yonatan's identity to find a better job, while his friend is languishing at home, and lives with Yonatan and his mother Edna (Yaël Abecassis), who loves Eyad like a son. Soon he must take an ultimate decision to survive in Israel.

"Dancing Arabs" (2014) is a movie with a beautiful story of love, friendship and hatred in a country divided by the hatred of two people. The plot is engaging and heartbreaking in many moments. The cast has magnificent performance and the chemistry between Danielle Kitsis and Tawfeek Barhom is amazing. Danielle Kitsis is one of the most beautiful actresses that I have ever seen, but unfortunately there is only a few information about her in Internet. Her son is also a beautiful child. The friendship of Edna, Yonatan and Eyad is also very beautiful and a hope that one day in the future these two people can forget hatred and live in peace. I sadly learned through this film that Arabs do not speak the "p" and Israeli Arabs are treated like second class citizens in Israel. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Os Árabes Também Dançam" ("The Arabs Also Damce")