When Pigs Have Wings (2011)

After a tempest, fishermen do not find only fish in their nets. That is what happens to Jafaar, a poor fisherman who lives poorly in Gaza. And what he hauls in is really upsetting : imagine... See full summary »

Director:

Sylvain Estibal

Writer:

Sylvain Estibal (screenplay)

Stars:

Sasson Gabai, Baya Belal, Myriam Tekaïa

2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sasson Gabai	...	Jafaar - the fisherman (as Sasson Gabay)
Baya Belal	...	Fatima
Myriam Tekaïa	...	Yelena
Gassan Abbas	...	Slim - the barber
Khalifa Natour	...	Hussein
Lotfi Abdelli	...	Young policeman
Ulrich Tukur	...	UN official
Khaled Riani	...	Shop owner
Uri Gabay	...	Netsah
Ido Shaked	...	Terrace soldier 1
Thierry Lopez	...	Terrace soldier 2
Zohar Wexler	...	Colony soldier
Maurad Saad	...	Jihad cameraman
Khereddine Ennasri	...	Jihadist 3
David Leguesse	...	Jihadist 2

Storyline

After a tempest, fishermen do not find only fish in their nets. That is what happens to Jafaar, a poor fisherman who lives poorly in Gaza. And what he hauls in is really upsetting : imagine that, a pig! An unclean animal judged impure not only by the Faith of Islam but also by the Jewish religion. Determined to get rid of the animal, Jafaar tries desperately to sell it, first to a United Nations official, then to a Jewish colony where Yelena raises pigs not for their meat but for security reasons. Of course, going unnoticed in the company of a "forbidden" animal, among his Palestinian brothers, past Israeli soldiers and under the scrutiny of Islamic fundamentalists is no bed of roses and a series of misadventures await Jafaar....

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Genres:

Comedy

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Details

Country:

France Germany Belgium

Language:

English Arabic Hebrew

Release Date:

21 September 2011 (France)

Also Known As:

Cuando los chanchos vuelen

Filming Locations:

Cologne, North Rhine - Westphalia, Germany

Box Office

Budget:

€4,574,488 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Marilyn Productions, StudioCanal, Barry Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

French visa # 125254.

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Quotes

Fatima: He said if you didn't repay him your debt you'd end up in jail
Jafaar: What did you answer him?
Fatima: That we are already in jail!

User Reviews

Modern fairy tales always take place in Israel and the occupied territories

The fishermen of Gaza aren't allowed to sail to the high seas and therefore hardly land anything. Especially Jafaar, a likable chap, who returns to port with two sardines (and two single sandals), when his colleagues at least catch something they can sell on the market. Jafaar is like Chaplin's Little Tramp, a likable loser who never stops trying and never loses hope. Then, one day, he lands a big catch: a living pig! However, as a Muslim he can't eat it himself, he fails to sell it to a UN official (the only Christian he knows), and the Jews won't buy it either. Then he finds a Russian girl in a Jewish settlement (in this movie, there are still Jewish settlements in Gaza) who is at least willing to enter into a limited business agreement with Jafaar ...

There is a veritable industry churning out movies about the Middle East conflict. The stories are usually modern fairy tales, probably in order to address the absurd reality without hurting anyone, and all characters are charming and full of human weaknesses. Israeli soldiers are usually gruff on the outside (the movie is critical!), but when you get to know them they're just ordinary chaps who watch Telenovelas just like everybody else (the movie is balanced and by no means antisemitic!).

I thought that the plot was too thin to sustain a 90-minute film. The actors were excellent and made the most out of it, but overall I didn't learn anything new about the Israeli-Palestinian-conflict -- or in fact, anything at all. The sweltering conflict would warrant a movie which gives us a new perspective even at the cost of balance, rather than putting us to bed with a fairy tale on the strength of human nature.