Watch Trailer For ‘Coexistence, My Ass,’ Sundance Doc On Israel-Palestine

Exclusive: Comedian and activist Noam Shuster Eliasi was pursuing an imaginative mission: to find humor and humanity in the context of what is often boiled down to a four-word acronym, “the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.” But if anyone can do it, she can.

Eliasi grew up in a bilingual Palestinian-Israeli village, “the only intentionally integrated community in the country,” sometimes referred to as an “oasis of peace.” Her journey to creating a one-woman comedy show was documented in Coexistence, my ass!It is scheduled to make its world premiere Sunday at the Sundance Film Festival. We have your first look at the film in the trailer above.

Any attempt to find comedy in that part of the Middle East, or even to support the principle of peaceful coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians, has become more difficult after Hamas’s deadly October 7 lightning attack and the subsequent Israeli retaliatory attack on Gaza that led to to exacerbate the problem. It claimed the lives of tens of thousands.

“Filmed over the course of five turbulent years, the film follows Naoum’s journey alongside the continuing decline of the region,” notes the film’s synopsis. Coexistence, my ass! As Ilyasi begins presenting her show in the region, “[she] It is quickly attracting attention throughout the Middle East. But as her star rises, everything around her crumbles. Through biting and warm satire, Naoum pushes her audience to confront difficult truths—and offers an inspiring role model for the future.

The film is directed and produced by Amber Fares, a Lebanese-Canadian filmmaker now based in New York. In a statement by the director, Fares said that she lived in the occupied West Bank for seven years while she was filming a previous documentary, Speed ​​sisters. She recounts her first meeting with Eliasi in the city of Ramallah in the West Bank.

“Noam has unique qualities that I have seen in very few people,” Fares writes. “She has the ability to move seamlessly between seemingly mutually exclusive groups. She is able to hold multiple perspectives on reality, rejecting ‘us or them’ narratives and never losing sight of what is most important. She speaks truth to power in three different languages. And she is funny.” truly.

Fares continues: “I started photographing with Noam in 2019 when she moved to Boston to build her solo program at Harvard University. Her journey has taken many surprising turns since then, and so has our world. I followed her as she had to navigate increasing attacks on dissent from her community and, of course, the near-total destruction of Gaza. Using humor to push her audiences to confront these truths is her life’s mission—and it was an honor to be on her journey with her.

“I was drawn to Noam because she is an inspiring example of what can be — a multilingual, multicultural citizen who stands in solidarity with the oppressed, who sees her future intertwined with the future of her Palestinian neighbors, and who knows that true coexistence can only be achieved on the basis of justice and equality.”

Noam Schuster Eliasi will be attending Sundance, along with Fares, producer Rachel Lea Jones, and editor Rabab Haj Yahya. The film’s executive producers are Ina Fishman, Jennifer Westphal, Joe Plummer, Libby Lenkinski, and Allison Klayman. Philip Belich serves as consulting producer and cinematographer, with additional cinematography by Faris and Amit Shashamov. The original music is by William Ryan Fritsch.

Coexistence, my ass! Premiering in the World Documentary Competition. Along with its Sunday premiere, it will premiere on Monday, January 27; Wednesday, January 29 (in Salt Lake City); Friday, January 31 and Sunday, February 2. A press and industry showcase will be held on Monday 27 January.

The documentary is the headline acquisition at Sundance. Outlook Filmsales is handling sales.

Watch the trailer for Coexistence, my ass! above.