*This screening will take place at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre.
Salam (Kais Nashif), a middle-aged slacker with not much to show for his life, scores a gig as a production assistant on the hit Palestinian soap, Tel Aviv on Fire. When an off-hand remark about a linguistic error in an actress’ lines gets him in hot water with the show’s head writer on his first day, he’s convinced his gig is up. Much to his good fortune, his thoughtful attention to language gains him favor with Tala (Lubna Azabal), the beautiful French diva cast in the lead role of Manal — the undercover spy charged with seducing an Israeli general and reporting back his plans to her lover, a Palestinian resistance fighter.
Later that evening, on his way home from the studio in Ramallah, he is stopped at a check point by border control where he claims to hold a seat in the writer’s room for Tel Aviv on Fire. When the security officer, Assi (Yaniv Biton), learns that Salam writes for his wife’s favorite TV show, he uses his power and influence to trap him and impose his own vision for how the show’s Israeli characters should be written. Assi, after spending months convinced his wife has lost all interest in him, concocts a plan that is sure to win back her heart, as well as position Israelis in a more flattering light. Salam is well aware that Assi’s success rests entirely on his shoulders. He also knows that if he doesn’t cooperate with Assi’s demands, he may never see his Jerusalem apartment again.
*Join us after the film for a Closing Night reception!
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