Elite Zexer's Sundance winner and Ophir-nominated SAND STORM opens at Film Forum

An Israeli film that's all about Bedouins, their traditions and halting attempts at some kind of modernity, SAND STORM is original, exotic, fiery and humane -- often simultaneously. What we see happening has the air of something centuries old, even if the plot pivots on how a daughter's cell phone is coincidentally answered by her mother. Taking place mostly in the home of a family in a tribal village in Israel's Negev desert, the film centers on that mother and daughter, both of whom are chaffing at the bit of Bedouin patriarchy.

Part of the movie's surprise and fascination comes from the fact that it seems very different from so much else we've seen come out of Israel -- narrative- or documentary-wise. As written and directed by a filmmaker new to me, Elite Zexer, shown at left, it immediately tosses us in media res and then let us fend for ourselves in figuring out what is happening and why. We do, and pretty quickly, although I suspect folk who live in this part of the world may have a stronger connection to the traditions and mores of the characters we see.

The mother of the family (Ruba Blal, above) is having to prepare, most unhappily, for her husband's wedding to a new wife, while her daughter (Lamis Ammar, below, right), we soon learn, is carrying on a forbidden romance with one of her university peers (Jalal Masarwa, below, left).

Dad (Haitham Omari, below, right) is a handsome but ineffectual man, who, as his wife and daughter both point out, is constantly explaining his actions by saying that these are things he "has to do." Everybody here -- women and men alike -- appear to be abused by their own traditions and the patriarchy, though the women, as ever, have it worst. We get the sense that education is the force that is helping to unite Bedouins, and yet this unity, which has brought together the daughter and her boyfriend, is also what is creating out-of-tribe relationships -- a no-no in this culture.

Love vs arranged marriage, family ties vs tribal ties, banishment and sacrifice -- all of this pits mother against daughter against father, with escalation heaped upon escalation. When, toward the finale, one character tells another, "There's nothing for you here," we realize that this judgment could apply to literally everyone on view.

Sand Storm could be an unrelentingly sad and difficult movie, but Ms Zexer fills it with such marvelous actors and has given them a screenplay that goes just far enough to fill the audience's understanding without over-explaining anything. The film's final scene, in fact, is completely silent. But it is hugely meaningful, presaging unfortunately what may come for the next generation.

In what may be be the movie's most telling moment, dad's plump and pretty new bride, above and below, implies to the daughter that her own situation as the newbie here is nothing to be pleased about. We never learn the details, but it becomes suddenly clear that there is probably "nothing for her here," either.

This "I have to" attitude, expressed by dad but also by so many other characters in their own way, is what allows -- and disallows -- so much that has and will continue to happen.  The movie is certainly feminist and anti-patriarchy, but it lets us see how these traditions -- large and small -- suppress everyone on view. At the wedding ceremony, for instance, certain women (I am guessing they are the former and now-tossed-away wives) must wear fake mustaches. Gheesh.

It is no surprise that this film won the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize at this year's Sundance Fest, and that it was also nominated for twelve -- count 'em -- Ophirs (the Israel's equivalent to our "Oscar"). Because it won six of those, including Best Director and Best Film, Sand Storm becomes automatically designated as Israel’s official submission to the Oscars for Best Foreign Language Film. It is a winner in every way, and we shall look forward to whatever Ms Zexer tackles next.

Meanwhile, Sand Storm, from Kino Lorber, in Arabic with English subtitles and running just 88 minutes, has its U.S. theatrical premiere tomorrow, Wednesday, September 28, in New York City at Film Forum, where it will have a two-week run. The film opens in Los Angeles at Laemmle's Royal on October 7. Elsewhere? Perhaps--once word-of-mouth generates.

On DVD and Digital: Geeta and Ravi Patel's overly-performed doc, MEET THE PATELS

So f-ing adorable that you will soon be grinding your teeth, MEET THE PATELS has been properly compared to My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Both movies are so obvious that you can't miss a thing and both beat you over the head with their charm until you're ready to scream, "Uncle!" Greek was an out-and-out narrative, while Patels would appear to be a documentary, but it is also a kind of hybrid doc in which almost all the actors so love performing for the camera that you'll soon plead for them to tone it down. They never do.

As you can quickly ascertain -- from the poster, top, and the stills from the movie, above and below -- there is hardly a moment in which nor a character who is not constantly mugging for the camera. This is particularly true of the movie's ostensible "hero," Ravi Patel (who stars and co-directed with his sister, Geeta Patel, shown at right above), who at age 30 still has not found a bride-to-be. Wanting to please his Indian parents (shown mugging below), he commits to finally finding an Indian girl to marry in one of those "arranged" affairs that are said to work out better than our western-world marriages (and divorces).

Immediately prior to the movie's beginning, Ravi has broken up with his red-headed American girlfriend of two years because, we are to assume, she was not Indian enough for him and his parents. Red flag, anyone? Though the movie begins very charmingly, with its characters, as well as its premise, seeming to be fresh and original, it soon begins repeating and repeating itself until more sophisticated viewers may want to fast forward to make better use of their time.

We follow Ravi as he goes on a trip to India (above) then comes back to the USA, checks out various online dating sites, prepares his resume and exchanges same with a bunch of young women, all the while mugging himself silly.

He goes on dates, as above, discusses the matter with his friends, and in general seems like a major bonehead.  The movie is also replete with cutesy animated sequences, as below (in which even the animation can't stop mugging).

I don't think we were even halfway through this much-too-long 88-minute movie before both my spouse and I had figured out exactly what was going to happen. By the time that this finally occurred, we had long given up on the film. Interestingly enough, for a movie that one might expect to undercut those typical Indian-American stereotypes, this one simply bolsters them all. (And it makes us appreciate all the more Aziz Ansari's current Netflix series, Master of None.)

You may have more patience than we, however, and god knows Meet the Patels did get some good reviews (and was one of the movies our neighbors and best friends urged upon us). So if you've a mind to try it, it's available from Alchemy on DVD as of this coming Tuesday, January 26, after having made its VOD debut last month, and its streaming debut last week. (We caught it via Netflix's streaming facility.)

Kurdistan comes to NYC's Quad Cinema, as two Jano Rosebiani movies open: CHAPLIN OF THE MOUNTAINS and ONE CANDLE TWO CANDLES

According to Wikipedia, contemporary use of the word "Kurdistan" (of which there is no official "country," though the term can mean a particular region of Iraq) refers to large parts of eastern Turkey (Turkish Kurdistan), northern Iraq (Iraqi Kurdistan), northwestern Iran (Iranian Kurdistan) and northeastern Syria (Western Kurdistan) all of which are inhabited mainly by Kurds. These days, some 25 years after the awful al-Anfal genocide waged by Saddam Hussein, it's easy for younger people (and older ones happy to forget history) to imagine that Kuridstan somehow is its own special country -- which it might, one can hope, someday become.

Even here in New York City, considered one of the cosmopolitan capitals of the world, we see few Kurdish films. So this double debut of movies by Kurdish filmmaker Jano Rosebiani is a welcome treat. Rosebiani is from Iraq Kurdistan, and though he seems to have spent a good deal of his life here in the USA, his movies hark back to his home country. CHAPLIN OF THE MOUNTAINS, an odd kind of sweet/sour road-trip about American documentary filmmakers showing Charlie Chaplin films in the mountain towns, as two lovely ladies tag along, even deals with the results of the al-Anfal genocide, while ONE CANDLE TWO CANDLES proves a comedy, if a somewhat dark one, about marriage and equality in present-day Kurdish culture.

The first thing you may notice about both films is how beautiful each is, scenery-wise. This mountainous area of Iraq Kurdistan, being industry-free, has no pollution and so, film-wise, the colors register strong, bright and true. On the basis of these two films, the work of Mr. Rosebiani, shown at left, seem to possess a nice combination of Hollywood storytelling ability and indigenous, low-key reality and charm.

In One Candle Two Candles he offers a kind of present-day "take" on a folk tale that includes an entire little town beginning with a goat-herd who dearly would love to own a pair of shoes and a pretty young girl (above, left) whose father is forcing her into marriage to a rich old man.

There's also a kid whose dad owns a local restaurant where very fresh fish are tastily prepared; a woman famous for castrating her husband who now seems always on the lookout for new meat; a hunky young artist just come to town (above); a sweet but feeble-minded man who longs to marry, and a dwarf who loves to expose himself and dance; and that aforementioned shoeless shepherd (below, after the "miracle").
Yes, this is quite crew.

Rosebiani sets the comic tone pretty well and keeps it going nicely throughout, though for us westerners, drawing laughs from the situation of a rich and entitled old man who'd rather burn his would-be bride to death rather than lose her to a more appropriate younger man simply underscores the horrors of Muslim culture, tradition and religion as evidently practiced here. "Would anybody blame me if I killed you?" hubby asks his bride.

Clearly, the answer, on one level, is meant to be a resounding no. Fundamentalist religion per se is mostly kept on the outskirts of both these films, yet its hammerlock on the culture is felt all the same.

On the other hand, that culture, as shown in the "Candles" movie, does seem to have some tolerance for "the Other," at least as viewed in the handling of the castrator, the feeble-minded and the exhibitionist dwarf (above). Who is kept in prison -- and for how long -- is one of the movie's funnier running jokes. Nary a homosexual shows his or her face, however; some "others" are clearly better than other "others." For the skinny on Muslim/Islamic hypocrisy on this matter, turn to George Gittoes' excellent Miscreants of Taliwood.

Chaplin of the Mountains has more of a documentary feel (Rosebiani has been involved in a few films in this genre, too) as his two young film-makers travel the mountain roads, stopping in various villages to screen Chaplin movies for the assembled crowds. There always seems to be an interruption, however: a herd of goats, or the screening at a wedding in which one of the mothers insists on more dancing rather than a movie.

Along the way, bits of several different Chaplin films are shown, the background and character of the young Parisian woman (above, second from left) who tags along is unveiled, as well as the needs and confusion of another beautiful young woman, a journalist (above, second from right), who also accompanies the two male filmmakers.

We get a philosophical discussion of love versus marriage; feminism ("In this country, you say hello, and they think you want to have their baby"); and finally we realize that, as well as road movie, we're also on a "quest" that offers some suspense and excitement. When we finally reach our title character, it turns out that the actor chosen (shown bottom, left) is way too young to be playing a great-grandpa.

As Rosebiani wrote, directed and edited both films, he's the man to praise or blame for the results. Mostly, I am happy to say, it's the former. The movies are lovely to look at, enjoyable to steep yourself in, and you'll come out the other side most likely with a better (or at least some) understanding of Kurdish culture.

From Evini Films, Chaplin of the Mountains (running 91 minutes) and One Candle Two Candles (running 105 minutes) open tomorrow, Friday, February 21, at the Quad Cinema in New York City. The filmmaker will be present for a Q&A on Friday and Saturday following the 7:10 show of "Candle"; Jano with also appear with his star Estelle Bajou (above, right) on Saturday after the 9:30 showing and on Sunday after the 5:00 showing of Chaplin of the Mountains.