INCH'ALLAH
Canada, 2012, 102 minutes, Colour.
Evelyne Brochu, Sabrina Ouazani, Sivan Levy, Yousef Joe Sweid.
Directed by Anais Barbeau- Lavalette.
This is a Canadian film, directed by a woman, offering a woman’s perspective on the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians as well as the perspective of an outsider.
Evelyne Brochu portrays Chloe, a doctor who has gone to work in the Middle East, lives in Israel, commutes through the checkpoints each day as she goes to work in a Palestinian clinic, working especially for women and their children.
On the Israel side, she is friendly with a young woman who is serving her conscription, Ava, who also works on border protection, examining bags, including Chloe’s. On the Palestinian side, Chloe becomes very friendly with a family, a pregnant woman and her brother. She experiences the conflict of loyalties within herself.
There is a tragedy when the pregnant woman is not allowed through a roadblock, a young Israeli soldier being particularly severe, especially when Chloe confronts him. The birth is difficult, in a car in the traffic, and the child is born dead. The repercussions for Rand include depression, abusive words to Chloe – but, again the path of revenge by becoming a suicide bomber.
The film is often very moving, especially because of the female sensibility of the director, the performers, the screenplay and the nature of the plot. It won a Commendation in the Panorama Section of the Berlinale, 2012.
1. A Canadian perspective on Israel and Palestine? A balance between the two communities?
2. The Israeli locations, Tel Aviv, towns, the terrain? The villages in Palestine, the streets, homes, doctor’s surgery?
3. The ever-presence of the war, the visuals of the wall, its height, length, graffiti, the style of life on the Israeli side, the contrast with the Palestinian side?
4. Chloe, coming from Canada, living in Israel, going through the checkpoint every morning and every evening, her experience in Israel, her friendship with Ava, style of life? The contrast with Palestine, her going to the clinic every day, her dealing with the patients, the women and their children, her relationship with the doctor? Her friendship with Rand and her family, Rand and her pregnancy, Faysal and his work, going to the printers, the posters with the pictures of those were died, suicide bombers? The doctor and his wariness?
5. Chloe’s relationship with Rand, friendship, with her brother, with the children, with the old mother? Chloe comfortable, staying, watching the children?
6. The children, playing, at the wall, the boy in the hero cape, Yousef and his death, Chloe’s response, torn between the sides? Going back and Ava examining her bag, her feeling resentful, talking with Ava?
7. Ava, Israeli, friendship with Chloe, the apartment and flats? Conscription, her work in border control, her dislike of it? Her concern about Chloe, support?
8. Rand, relying on her family, on Chloe? In the car going to the hospital, the roadblock, the harshness of the Israeli soldier, the plea for him to let them through, Chloe and her severe reprimand, his stubbornness? Rand giving birth, getting to the hospital, the child stillborn, Chloe holding it? The change in
Rand, depression, blaming Chloe, her abuse of her, the decision to get revenge, the bag and the bomb, the explosion in deaths? Her face on a poster?
9. Faysal, support of Rand, the family, his work, his friendship with Chloe, the bond with her, getting his sister to the hospital? The sad end of the relationship?
10. The Palestinian background, the families, the old mother? Life in the streets? The children, throwing stones at the Israelis? Indicative of the tensions?
11. The framework of the film, the group going to the cafe, the little boy looking in the glass case, Rand and her suicide?
12. The response of Israeli audiences, Palestinian audiences? The film and its controversies? Winning a Catholic award at the Berlin film Festival 2012?
