JAFFA

Israel, 2009, 109 minutes, Colour.
Dana Ivgy, Mony Moshanov, Mahmoud Chalabi, Ronit Elkabetz, Roy Assaf.
Directed by Keren Yedaya.

Set in the Israeli old port of Jaffa, this is familiar material, almost soap-opera stories, dramatised in a conventional way.

The family at the centre runs a prosperous garage repairing cars. The older son is arrogant and lazy. The receptionist daughter is pregnant – to the reliable mechanic who happens to be Arab. When the son is killed in a fight he has provoked, everything changes – much as one might have foreseen.

The Israeli settings and the glimpses of loathing for Arabs distinguish it from similar films.

1.An Israeli production, drama, familiar material, anything special?

2.Jaffa, the view during the credits? The streets and homes, the garage, the score?

3.The family, their background story, the focus on Mali? The garage at work, the bonds between the workers, death, grief, the issue of abortion, the single-parent child? The father in prison?

4.The glimpse of the Palestinians in Jaffa, the bigotry by the Israelis against the Arabs? The Arabs being accepted in the workplace?

5.The garage, Hassan and Tawfik, the thoroughness of their work? Meir and his tantrums, arrogant and lazy, his dealing with the clients, walking out, causing his father a financial loss?

6.The family at home, the tensions at the meal, Meir and his insults to his mother, her wanting him to get out? Mali and the phone call to him inviting him back, his spending the night at the garage after getting drunk, sick, his throwing his weight around, getting Hassan to treat a new client, the confrontation with Tawfik, the fight, Tawfik pushing Meir and his hitting his head?

7.The injury, the ambulance, the police, Meir to hospital, his death? The family hurrying to hospital? Their grief – yet his mother wanting him to get out of the house? Their blaming Tawfik – and their anti-Arab prejudice?

8.Mali, her relationship with Tawfik, love, the plan to leave the country, his getting the documents, her packing, the cases under the bed in the garage, the fight, Tawfik arrested and imprisoned?

9.Mali, her perplexity, getting rid of the cases, the wedding dress? Going to the abortion clinic, getting the permit? Her not telling her parents, pretending it was stomach upset? Her decision not to go for the abortion? Giving birth, the lies about the father?

10.Tawfik and the years in prison, early release, the family to meet him, his phoning Mali?

11.The family, the memorial for Meir, Psalm 119, their reaction to Tawfik getting out?

12.Mali, the phone calls, not wanting to talk with Tawfik, planning to meet him, her returning home, eventually telling him the truth?

13.Her decision to leave, the letter to her parents, going to her aunt with her daughter, the showdown with her parents, their anger, disowning her?

14.The little girl, her situation, love for her mother, staying with her aunt, discovering her father?

15.The final beach scene, Tawfik sitting and watching, the future?

16.The human drama – with the touch of soap opera material and treatment?