Gaza Mon Amour

The 60-year-old Issa is a fisherman. He sails out at night and sells his fish on the market the next day. There he sees Siham, a widow and rather the distant type. She works as a seamstress. A widower himself, he starts to feel something for Siham, which he tries to convey to her very carefully. And then Issa’s nets catch a Greek bronze statue of Apollo with an erect penis. This is a subdued and quaint portrait of two older people in the spirit of Italian neorealism with a whiff of magical realism. A little bit of political commentary and some absurdism, but most of all two brilliant actors who shine in their 60-year-old selves with moving scenes. A film that is just as sharp as it is gentle, that subtly touches on poignant social, economic and psychological points, but that also embraces humour. The film sometimes reminds us of Jim Jamusch, Aki Kaurismäki or Elie Suleiman. One of the best feature films from the Middle East in recent years and one of the best Palestinian films in a long time.