West Bank Story

Ari Sandel tries to challenge the stereotypical image of the conflict in the Middle East in West Bank Story

In this edition of The Fabulous Picture Show, we screen in its entirety West Bank Story, this year’s Oscar-winning live-action short.  This exclusive screening is accompanied by commentary from the film’s director, Ari Sandel, and an oft-heated discussion of the film amongst a group of young Palestinians and Israelis. 

Full of dancing, singing and wacky humour, West Bank Story, is a spoof of the classic musical West Side Story.  It tells of the forbidden love between David, an Israeli soldier, and Fatima, a Palestinian fast-food cashier.  Growing animosity between their families’ rival fast-food establishments – Kosher King and Humus Hut – triggers a chain of events that forces the two warring sides to seek common ground.

West Bank Story

Ari Sandel set out to make West Bank Story during his graduate studies at the University of Southern California Film School. Tackling a serious issue with immense humour but a limited budget, the young director tries to challenge the stereotypical image of the conflict in the Middle East – one which, to him, seems to present no hope.  Sandel wants to show how similar both sides are by reducing the dispute to a battle between two falafel joints.

This episode of The Fabulous Picture Show will be broadcast at the following times GMT:

Saturday 25th August 14:30, 22:30; Sunday 26th August 02:30, 12:30; Monday 27th August 00:30, 07:30; Tuesday 28th August 06:00, 13:30; Wednesday 29th August 11:30, 19:30; Thursday 30th August 05:30 Friday 31st August 03:00, 16:30; Saturday 1st
September 06:30

Watch an edited version of the episode here:

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