Santa Claus tries to outrun a gang of knife-wielding youth. It's one of several vignettes of Palestinian life in Israel - in a neighborhood in Nazareth and at Al-Ram checkpoint in East Jerusalem. Most of the stories are droll, some absurd, one is mythic and fanciful; few words are spoken. A man who goes through his mail methodically each morning has a heart attack. His son visits him in the hospital. The son regularly meets a woman at Al-Ram; they sit in a car, hands caressing. Once, she defies Israeli guards at the checkpoint; later, ninja-like, she takes on soldiers at a target range. A red balloon floats free overhead. Neighbors toss garbage over walls. Life goes on until it doesn't.
Elia Suleiman
Nayef Fahoum Daher
Manal Khader
George Ibrahim
Jamel Daher
Amer Daher
Lutuf Nouasser
Riad Masarweh
Bassem Loulou
Salwa Nakkara
Naaman Jarjoura
Rana Nashashibi
Salman Natour
Fares Hakim
Khalil Jarjoura
Hamada Shamout
David Belle
Nazira Suleiman