Ajami

About The Film

A gritty, urban crime drama brimming with raw energy and razor sharp insights, AJAMI tells the interwoven stories of Jewish, Muslim and Christian neighbors living in bloody disharmony in an impoverished Jaffa neighborhood. The sweeping cast of characters – illegal workers, gangs, drug dealers, revenge squads, corrupt police, clandestine lovers – are all vividly portrayed by non-professional actors who are actual Ajami residents. Their disparate stories are tied together by a revenge killing and drug deal gone bad. Shuttling back and forth through time, interlocking events are witnessed through the eyes of different characters, thus changing audience perceptions and responses. The film is co-directed by Israeli and Palestinian filmmakers, Yaron Shani and Scandar Copti, a statement in itself. Winner of the Israeli Academy Award for Best Film, AJAMI is also the first Arabic-language film to represent the Jewish state at the Oscars.