HA BUAH (THE BUBBLE)

Israel, 2006, 90 minutes, Colour.
Ohad Knoller, Alon Friedman, Daniela Virtzer, Yousef ‘Joe’ Sweid, Lior Ashkenazi.
Directed by Eytan Fox.

The Israeli film The Bubble featured in Panorama at the Berlin Film Festival, The Bubble. It was co-written and directed by Eytan Fox whose previous films, Yossi and Yaeger and Walking on Water also screened in Berlin.

The Bubble is something of a surprise to outside viewers. The director, producer and the cast all live in Tel Aviv and they wanted to tell a Tel Aviv story, a story about men and women in their 30s. Many Israelis consider that the citizens of Tel Aviv are not always connected with reality and live in a bubble.

The central character, Noam, played by Ohad Knoller who has featured in Fox’s other films, is first seen at a checkpoint where Palestinians are profoundly humiliated by the military – something which will be shown again towards the end of the film as a number of Palestinians travel from Israel to Gaza for a family wedding. Whatever the fears about terrorists, the film implies that there must be more humane ways of treating the Palestinians.

Noam works in a music shop and shares accommodation with friends, one the owner of a restaurant and the other a woman who works in a cosmetics shop. Fox’s films have gay themes and these are prominent in The Bubble. What complicates matters is that begins a liaison with a Palestinian whom he saw at the checkpoint. His friends arrange for the Palestinian to have an Israeli cover to work in Tel Aviv.

What is different is that Noam and his friends are against the occupation and stage a rave concert in support of protest against the occupation. The question for outside audiences is how prevalent these stances are amongst younger Israelis.

Much of the story is autobiographical, especially in the detail of the day-by-day life for these characters. Fox opts to portray contemporary stances on Israel-Palestinian? relations, terrorism as well as gay relationships and so the film turns pessimistic as it goes on.

1.A film from Israel at the beginning of the 21st century? From Tel Aviv? From a young adult perspective? The 21st century realities in Israel, Palestine? Hopes? Protest?

2.The occupation, the young people’s protest? Official attitudes? Relationships? Terrorism – and the attitudes of both sides?

3.The gay themes, Israel and tolerance, Palestine and secrecy and intolerance? Coming out? The consequences? Sexual activity and relationships? The final link with the bomber and the dead?

4.The title, explanation, each of the characters living in their own bubble, the view of others in their bubbles? Tel Aviv and its bubble?

5.The Tel Aviv locations, the city and its streets, the bars and shops? Authentic atmosphere? The contrast with Nablus and the views of the Palestinian town? The contrast of the streets and homes? The countryside, the highways? The Palestinian roads compared with the highways? The reality of the checkpoints?

6.The musical score, the songs, the discussions of Britney Spears and the Rolling Stones? Local music? The importance of music, especially interests and discussions? The raves, the dance? The taking of ecstasy, people being high? Access to music, taking it for granted?

7.The stances of the film-makers, taking sides or not, hopes and aspirations, seeing what Israelis and Palestinians had in common, differences? Fears and angers? Persecution and presumption? Terror, the bombs? Death and mutilation? Suicide?

8.The film focusing on Noam, seeing him at the checkpoint, his military service, the television and their being warned off, filming the behaviour of the military towards the Palestinians, humiliating them? Raising their shirts, for bombs? The invasion of privacy of the women? The controlling officer? The pregnant woman, her cry, the crowd, getting the ambulance and the doctor, the baby being stillborn, the accusations that the Israelis had killed the baby? The effect on Noam? His noticing Ashraf? His going back home, sharing his flat? His friendship with the restaurant owner? With Lulu? Their style of life? Relationships? The gay culture? His work in the shop? Going to the restaurant? His family? His meeting with Ashraf, the beginning of the relationship? The group helping Ashraf to change his name, change his identity, persuading the restaurant to take him on as a waiter?

9.Ashraf, his background, Palestinian, his family, his sister and the preparations for the wedding, expectations of him to marry? His brother-in-law and the pressure on him? His inability to tell anybody about his orientation? His experience of growing up, the background in Jerusalem? His work? Going to Tel Aviv? The relationship with Noam? The bonds between them? Sexual behaviour? The gay culture? His work in the restaurant? His being accosted, attacked, his leaving? His returning to Palestine?

10.Lulu, her work in the shop, her anger with the customers? Her relationship with her mother? Her friends? The editor of Time Out? The liaison with him? Discovering him in the restaurant with another woman? Going to his office, accosting him? His reaction, the reaction of his secretary? Shaul and his devotion to her? Her sympathy with Ashraf? Wanting to help, going to the editor, getting permission for herself and Noam to go as television personnel into Palestine? The trip, Noam and Lulu pretending to be French? Getting through the checkpoint? The visit to the family, the interview with Ashraf’s mother? The rest of the family?

11.The rave, Shaul and his associates trying to build it up? The humorous poster, the naked group – and the fact that Ashraf was in the group, its being seen in Palestine? Their attack on him? The rave itself, people getting high? Romance? Shaul and his proposal to Lulu?

12.The restaurant owner, his gay style, his friend? The ups and downs of moods, meetings? The rave? The final bombs and the two getting together?

13.Going to see the play Bent, Lior Ashkenazi and his performance? The interviews afterwards? The themes of homosexuality within the context of the concentration camps? Symbols for Palestine and Israel?

14.The details of ordinary life in Tel Aviv? The easy way of life? Affluence? The contrast with the way of life in Palestine, the homes, the streets?

15.The preparations for the wedding, Ashraf and his telling his sister the truth? Her disgust? His brother-in-law seeing him with Noam? His hold over him, wanting him to marry? The tension at the wedding? The celebration?

16.The aftermath of the wedding, the Israeli troops coming in, shooting without question, Ashraf’s sister and her death? Her husband and his grief? His contacts with the suicide bombers? Giving the orders?

17.Ashraf and his volunteering to be a suicide bomber, his sense of frustration? His going into Tel Aviv, in the street? Noam seeing him? Ashraf and his decision to kill himself in the street rather than do damage, Noam going to meet him, their double death?

18.The pessimism of the ending, the terrorism and the stances that each side took? Facing the reality of the difficulties in Israel today? But making a film to question the attitudes, to protest the occupation and the checkpoints?