200 Meters

How important is a film's title in relation to its premise? That may seem like a strange question, but it's one that's surprisingly relevant where this Palestinian release is concerned. Writer-director Ameen Nayfeh's debut feature about a separated Palestinian family living on two sides of the dividing wall between Israel and the Occupied Territory - a metaphorically cavernous 200 meters apart - starts off as a domestic drama about the challenges of such a difficult lifestyle, one characterized by the dynamics of "so close yet so far," a theme seemingly reinforced by the picture's title. However, as quickly becomes apparent, the story turns into an unexpected (and eminently dangerous) long-distance road trip tale involving a desperate attempt by the family's father figure (Ali Suliman) to reunite with his relatives on the Israeli side of the border when an unforeseen tragedy occurs. Ordinarily this would be a generally manageable undertaking, but it's prohibited in this case by a legal technicality that prevents dad from leaving the Occupied Territory. While this narrative has a legitimate viability all its own, it nevertheless deviates widely from the picture's initial setup, taking viewers down a divergent path filled with an array of tangents unrelated to the principal storyline. It raises issues disparate from its assumed plot and introduces a plethora of characters who have nothing to do with the protagonist's kindreds. To its credit, the film presents a candid portrayal of the myriad difficulties of everyday life for those living under such tightly controlled circumstances, raising serious questions related to Israeli contentions regarding matters of democracy and equality, notions with undeniable merit. But, as all this unfolds, audiences can't help but wonder when the picture is going to get back to its original intent. Some of the characters' motivations in this story aren't always made as clear as they could be, either, especially for those who may be unfamiliar with the prevailing political and social conditions depicted in this film. And, ultimately, one might feel somewhat misled by all this, despite whatever noteworthy issues the film raises. "200 Meters" is by no means a bad film; it's just not the one that I (and probably others) expected to see when I began screening it. It's strange to think that something as simple as a title change might have worked wonders in making this work more impressive and satisfying.

I heard heard good things about this film, but having a quick peek on IMDB to read the first user review giving it 1/10, I had my reservations.

These were quickly dispelled as I felt myself being taken into the life of Mustufa and his family (Mustufa is brilliantly acted by Ali Suliman)

The movie has wonderful cinematography, showing the harsh yet warm scenery beautifully, with tender music accompanying the scenes to pull heart stings when required, but not to over sensationalise it.

As someone with no skin in the game for either side, I thought it was an extremely fair and balanced portrayal of the struggles of Palestinian families living in and around the West Bank and travelling through checkpoints daily.

Whatever you think of the situation, I would look at this film with open eyes, and you will be pleasantly surprised.

After the film finished, I checked IMDB to see who had directed it, and was more than surprized to find it was also a feature film directorial debut from the writer Ameen Nayfeh.

Looking forward to more of her films!

I once listened to a Jordanian Ambassador to the USA talk before an audience about his search for a word in Arabic which meant "compromise" in the sense of the very western English expression to have a "win-win situation" where both sides give up something in order to gain something and both feel like they have 'won'. He said that despite his best efforts he never found such a word in Arabic. He said that in Arabic culture there is only a sense of winning and losing. If one loses something he cannot be a winner. It is all or nothing. Black and White! The Victors and the Vanquished! All of which he said illustrated the culture gap between western democracies and Arab countries. This film somewhat explores this ideological divide.

This ideological divide is essentially the huge gap that separates Mustafa who refuses to compromise his non-Israeli Arab ideology for the welfare of his family, and Mustafa's Arab-Israeli compromising wife who he allows to live on the other side of the wall in order to raise his children in 'better' schools, etc. The fact that they still love each other in this film is a bit of an anomaly in this war of cultures.

This theme is also the background to the huge gap that separates the Arabic speaking Muslims of the West Bank from the Hebrew speaking Israelis on the other side of the wall. While Israeli's have at times tried be more pragmatic in their relations with the Arab speaking Muslims, their efforts have not been generally reciprocated and the Israelis built a wall of separation as much to keep non-Israeli Arabs out as to keep Israelis in.

Neither side is innocent in the ongoing conflict and Mustafa and his wife epitomize this divide to a large degree: the divide that separates idealists and pragmatists which ultimately keep Mustafa and his wife on opposite sides of the wall. His wife is effectively a pragmatist as are most of the Israeli Arabs who live in Israel. Mustafa is an idealist who will not compromise on his principals and is willing to give up a normal family existence living with his wife and children for a life of separation.

Who's to blame for this wall of separation? The Israelis? The non-Israeli Arabs? The film doesn't really explore the blame game very deeply, it just tries to film the craziness of it all mostly, though not exclusively, through the filter of the eyes of non-Israelis. So a bit one-sided as might be expected and no real solutions are presented ... and the craziness just continues.

I have no personal skin in this conflict and I do not believe given the history and cultures of both sides that there is likely to be any really viable solution that would meet the definition of a win-win situation anytime in the near or the more distant future. This film sort of illustrates this as much as it can be illustrated.

It is worth a watch, though the film offers little hope in my opinion for any real change as it documents the 'craziness' of both sides!

So deep , touching and simple at the same time, fully engaged from the 1st scene till the last one Must watch on big screen

I am rating this at 9, although very rarely I have given such a high rating, and the reasons why I believe this film deserves a solid 9 is the fact that palestinian cinema and film industry has improved so much in the last few years, and Palestinian film makers have worked so hard for years to get some screen time, and now they're portraying the reality so vividly and using the real Palestinian narrative that's widely censored and silenced. The production is amazing, the actors are very talented and genuine, the music is so fitting and expressive of the scenes.

The fact that this is a reality in Palestine today is appalling, we are living in a world that still tolerates this in 2020.

I think such productions and stories are the ambassadors of this cause, and they are doing a good and talented job at it, they are telling a narrative that's parallel to the stereotype, and more powerful sometimes.

Well done the talented Ameen Nayfeh, and to Ms Odeh.