Tel Aviv On Fire
Salam, a charming 30-year-old Palestinian living in Jerusalem, works as an intern on the popular Palestinian soap opera Tel Aviv on Fire, produced in Ramallah. Every day Salam must pass through an arduous Israeli checkpoint to reach the television studios. He meets the commander of the check point, Assi, whose wife is a huge fan of the show. In order to impress her, Assi gets involved in the writing of the show. Salam soon realises that Assi’s ideas could get him a promotion as a screenwriter. His creative career catches fire, until Assi and the show’s financial backers disagree on how the soap opera should end. Squeezed between an Army officer and the Arab backers, Salam can only solve his problems with a final master stroke. (Festival information)
This provocative, playful, and explosive comedy offers an unexpected view into one of the world’s most painful conflicts. A Palestinian writer draws upon the skills and experiences of an Israeli checkpoint commander to enhance a TV-Series: Tel Aviv on Fire. The film confronts the uneasy boundary between harsh reality and romantic illusions, transforming identities, opening imaginative space for dialogue.