THE REPORTS ON SARAH AND SALEEM
Palestine, 2018, 132 minutes, Colour.
Adeeb Safadi, Sivane Kerchner, Maisa Abd Elhadi, Ishar Golan.
Directed by Muayad Alayan.
In a way, the title tells or, at least, indicates all. That is a useful device to rouse audience curiosity – what is the connection between the Hebrew name, Sarah, and the Palestinian name, Saleem? And, what is the meaning of reports, sinister-sounding in the context of Jerusalem? Which means then that the audience watches this film with expectations and questions.
And, this is a Palestinian film, the action taking place in Jerusalem – and, many sun-filled vistas of the city, its streets, its buildings and hills, the surrounding countryside, as well as a visit to Bethlehem, which enables the audience to strongly the atmosphere of the city.
In a way, the title makes the audience complicit in what is to follow. And this is reinforced by the opening collage of sequences, introducing each of the central characters briefly but in significant action which does explain initially who they are and what are their connections. And, as the film progresses, the audience is even more complicit because it knows far more about each of the characters than they know about each other. This is an interesting dynamic. We see what happens and know why it happens even though the character themselves are often bewildered.
After the collage, the audience sees Saleem arrested in his house and taken to be interrogated. We have seen his pregnant wife looking at cot in a shop window and she is shocked at his arrest. We also see Saleem involved in an affair, an affair with a Jewish woman who runs a café/shop – and we have seen her husband, a military official, in action. So, what are the grounds for Saleem’s arrest?
This takes us into a range of flashbacks, the nature of the adultery, Saleem delivering bread to the cafe, his passion for Sarah, and yet his love for his pregnant wife. We see Sarah at home, playing with her little daughter, but we sense the tension with her husband and his aiming for promotion which means that she might have to close the cafe and go with him into the desert. We see Saleem being encouraged to do business with Palestinians outside the wall.
The highly dramatic moment of the film involves Saleem persuading Sarah to accompany him on a visit to Bethlehem, her hesitation, his persuasion, a drink in a nightclub, an altercation with a local – with dire results.
And then back to Saleem being arrested and the complication of the reactions of each of the central characters, their lawyers, the military authorities, interrogations, time in prison, trials. And, while we are complicit in our knowledge, we are more than complicit in our emotional responses to each of the characters, how sympathetic to Saleem and Sarah, how concerned about the pregnant wife, more revelations about the role of the military.
Which means then that this is a combination of what is a familiar story of adultery and betrayals, and unforeseen consequences in the antagonistic society, Jewish and Palestinian, in contemporary Jerusalem.
The film has screened in quite a number of international festivals and received many awards.
1. The title? Expectations? The focus on reports and all that that implies? Surveillance? Sarah, the Israeli woman? Saleem, the Palestinian man?
2. The Israeli settings, the city of Jerusalem, the sunlit vistas, streets, homes, interiors? Military officers? Bethlehem, the nightclub? Prison, interrogations? The musical score?
3. The opening collage, the brief introduction to each character, situating them, the two in their relationship, Saleem’s wife and her pregnancy, David and his military action?
4. The scene with the arrest of Saleem, at home, the glasses for the tea, the sudden intrusion? Officials, interrogations?
5. The filling in the background? The bakery and Saleem’s deliveries, the group with their trucks? His need for money, jobs, deliveries, the deal for contact with Palestinians outside the wall? His relationship with Sarah? Deliveries to her cafe? Surreptitious? In his van? The contrast with Sarah, affluence, the cafe, love for her daughter and the games with her, tensions with her husband? David and his ambitions, the secrecy about his service, Sarah not wanting to move? Bisan, pregnant, the buying of the cot? Her studies?
6. Saleem and his suggesting Sarah go with him to Bethlehem? Reluctance? Her daring? The delivery? Going to the nightclub, the drink, the dancing? At the bar, Sarah being accosted, Saleem’s violent reaction? The consequences?
7. Saleem’s arrest, the interrogation? The information from the man in Bethlehem? Indications that Saleem was a spy? He was trying to recruit Sarah? The complainant assuming that Sarah was an Israeli prostitute?
8. Bisan’s brother, his deals, getting the Palestinian leader, the discussions, Saleem signing papers? The later attack, the death of the Palestinian leader?
9. The pressure on Saleem, his denials about espionage, the documents, implications for confessions? Whether to name Sarah or not? The personalities of the interrogators, ruthless? Involving David, his visit to Saleem?
10. Sarah, concealing the truth, the lawyer visiting her, her being under surveillance? Her work at the cafe, Ronit and her help? The interactions with Bisann? David, coming to know the truth, the tension between the couple, his wanting custody of their daughter?
11. The role of the lawyer, trying to help Saleem, interviews with Bisan, interviews with Sarah?
12. The proceedings, the possible sentence, Saleem in jail? Visits?
13. Bisan, her being upset, following Sarah, the discussions between them? The visits to her husband, wanting a divorce? The legal situation? Her giving birth?
14. The bonding between the two women, waiting at the court, the baby? Saleem, going to the court, his passing each of them?
15. David, the denunciation by the military officials, the presumption that he had given information to his wife, playing the recording? Sarah warning Saleem? His future career?
16. The story of marital infidelity, a not infrequent story, but the setting in Jerusalem, uprisings, espionage, and the combining of the two? The unexpected consequences of the infidelity?
