The Bubble

So ideally suited to this year's spotlight on Tel Aviv (protesters* be damned), Eytan Fox's The Bubble first screened at TIFF in 2006. It concerns 3 roommates living in ‘the bubble’ of Tel Aviv, where Middle East unrest is sublimated and liberal values and open sexuality thrive. The main plot concerns the Romeo & Juliet-like love affair between Noam, an Israeli, and Ashraf, a Palestinian. In Tel Aviv they are able to live an openly gay life, and join their friends at frivolous events like a “rave against the occupation.” But back home Ashraf struggles to keep his relationship a secret, and is pressured to marry the sister of his sister’s fiancé. While the film highlight’s the freedom of Tel Aviv, it also shows the unequal and unfair treatment of Arabs in Israel, who live in poorer conditions and are subjected to humiliating searches by border guards. The tragic ending only reinforces the plea for peace. Would that love could conquer hate and peace could replace war. What better message could there be? (*There was an organized protest against the TIFF for selecting Tel Aviv as the featured city in the City-to-City program. Interestingly, The Bubble, which was part of this program, highlights the very inequalities that the protesters were protesting about in their condemnation of Israel.) (8/10)