THEMOVIES

Conveying thoughts of peace through comedy—is such a thing even possible? Charlie Chaplin's The Great Dictator might be considered a pioneering attempt. Noam Shuster-Eliassi, the daughter of an Iranian Jewish mother and a Romanian Jewish father, grew up in Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam, or “Oasis of Peace”. A singular, idealistic village where Jews and Palestinians have chosen to live together in peace and mutual respect. As much as possible, at least, for Palestinian residents have never enjoyed equal rights within the Israeli state. In 2020, after contracting the virus, Noam finds herself in an Israeli hotel where coronavirus patients of different backgrounds—Palestinians and Jews—are quarantined together. It proves to be a “Five-Star Oasis of Peace”. Noam: “There can be no co-existence when we (Israel) deny Palestinians' right to exist.” And further: “Comedy has a crucial role to play in this. Comedy is an excellent tool for getting people to listen to you, for questioning the status quo and power structures.” It goes without saying that Noam is viewed in certain Israeli circles as an enemy of the state.