Ajami Review

• 11th Feb 2011

Ajami is a multi layered drama set in and around Jaffa Tel Aviv as the actions of four different Palestinians and Jews ultimately end in tragedy.  The film moves through four chapters capturing the lives of the different characters that will ultimately play a part in each other’s lives. These include the brothers Nasri and Omar, refugee Malek, party happy Palestinian Binj and Jewish policeman Dando.

The film’s narrator is 13 year old Nasri who at the start of the film tells us that he felt something bad was going to happen. After his Uncle shoots a local gang member he and his brother Omar find themselves at the centre of revenge. After gunning down a next door neighbor by mistake Omar requests help to settle the matter. This results in his family owing a great deal of money forcing him to turn to petty crime.

Malek the Palestinian refugee works with Omar at a restaurant owned by local fixer Abu-Lias. Malek is desperate to earn enough money for an operation for his mother and like Omar will ultimately turn to crime. Omar is also in love with Abu-Lias’ daughter who being an Arab Christian is never going to be allowed to marry Muslim Omar. The chef at the restaurant, Binj, becomes involved after his brother asks him to hold drugs for him after a dispute with a Jewish neighbour. Dando and the police turn up at Binj’s apartment hoping to find the drugs but fail to locate them after a search. Binj ends up killing himself via an overdose after disposing of the drugs and replacing them with sugar.

On finding the drugs, Omar convinces Malek to join him in selling the drugs for the money they both need. Abu-Lias tells Malek not go with Omar and then proceeds to inform on Omar to the police so he will be killed resulting in his daughter being free of his attentions. The drug exchange goes badly resulting in the deaths of Dando, Malek and Nasri who followed his brother into the building. Omar runs away as the police sirens in the background come ever closer.

The film does resemble Amores Perros in the fractured nature of its narrative and also Kurosawa’s Rashomon as we get to see some events from the different viewpoints of certain protagonists. These devices further emphasise the problematic nature of the region in that people who exist in such close proximity with each other seem incapable of tolerance. This is perfectly demonstrated when a Jewish neighbour complains to a group of young Palestinians about them having sheep outside their house. The resulting argument ends in the fatal stabbing of the Jewish man for no apparent reason at all. This kind of meaningless act of stupidity is replayed time and again throughout the film.

Employing an entirely non professional cast, the combination of authentic locations and naturalistic performances is the shining light of this production.  What the narrative lacks in actual engagement the performances more than pick up the slack. Authenticity such as this simply does not exist in Hollywood product as they rely on the established star to ensure profits. A film such as Ajami refuses all notion of this security for the audience and it’s replaced with the fear that anything could happen to anyone at any given moment. This concept is undoubtedly employed to mimic reality in this part of the world.

Ajami is an enormous film on an epic canvas to say the least. The overall narrative is not fully engaging for the entire film but this is a minor quibble. The essence of confusion and mistrust is brilliantly conveyed throughout the film. The portrayal of the characters ensures that they always seem moments away from disaster.  From the opening monologue by Nasri we are left in no doubt that this story will not have a a happy ending. Reports from the region mirror this sense of doom and dread as the people continue to tear the region apart. There is no sense of peace or understanding to be had here in Ajami something that is so desperately missing not only in the region in reality but the entire world of today.  Ajami will undoubtedly provoke many reactions from different people which is something that makes it essential viewing for anyone interested in being pushed to think.

Aled Jones