Great International Films

By Nate Feldman

Here are some reviews of different international films I have watched, both which focus on relationships between people of different cultures.

Movie Title: Ghampani

Year: 2017

Country: Nepal

Ghampani is a 2017 Nepali film about two villagers from different castes and ethnic backgrounds falling in love and the turmoil that this creates between their families.  Phurba, a local school teacher from a Tamang family, is in love with Tara, a daughter of a local Brahmin with significant standing in the village, who has been away studying in the capitol city of Kathmandu.  When she returns to the village, Phurba is there to walk her from the bus station to her home, showing that they have been in love for a while.  Their families have been close since they were young children, and their fathers still regularly socialize over chess matches.  However, the idea that these two would fall in love has never really crossed the minds of either family, so they have kept their romance a secret.  

Things are complicated by the arrival of Kamal, a new and extremely mischievous police inspector, in town, who has interest in Tara and persuades her father to arrange a marriage between them.  Phurba and Tara want to avoid this at all costs, but they do so at the risk of alienating their families from them.  Kamal, aware of Phurba's secret relationship with Tara, taunts him about his plans to marry Tara.  Things boil over when at a village celebration for the local school, Phurba assaults the police inspector after seeing him act inappropriately around Tara.  Phurba, now wanted by the police, and Tara  make a choice to run away from the village together and get married.  But, can their love overcome the societal forces around them?

This film beautifully shows the life of villagers in rural Nepal and gives the viewer a deep appreciation for the different cultures and traditions among people there.  It also shows the challenges of people in a mutli-ethnic society co-existing despite different values.  Anyone who is interested in learning about Nepali culture and seeing a charming love story that has both beautiful love scenes as well as a lot of humor will definitely enjoy this film.  

 

Movie: Tel Aviv on Fire

Year: 2018

Country: Israel/Palestine

Tel Aviv on Fire is a 2018 satirical drama by Palestinian director Sameh Zoabi about a Palestinian soap opera writer and the relationship he forms with the Israeli commander at the local checkpoint he must cross to go to work every day.  

Salaam Abass, an East Jerusalem Palestinian, has begun working for his uncle, a soap opera producer based in Ramallah, on his TV show "Tel Aviv on Fire."  The show revolves around a Palestinian woman prior to the 1967 Six Day's War being sent on a mission by Palestinian fighters to get top secret information from an Israeli general.  Salaam is there to help with the character's Hebrew, but he is eventually promoted to full-time writer.  The only problem is he has no writing experience, so he begins consulting Assi Tzur, the commanding officer at the checkpoint Salaam crosses through to get from Jerusalem to Ramallah and back on a daily basis, for ideas with his script.  Assi offers his assistance in return for Salaam bringing him the best hummus possible.  This begins a bizarre, often humorous relationship between the Palestinian soap opera writer and an Israeli soldier controlling his movements.  Assi, whose wife is a devoted fan of the show, insists the Palestinian spy in the story fall in love and marry the Israeli general.  Salaam, however, realizes such a plotline would offend the Palestinian backers and audience of the story.  But Assi is willing to do everything possible to make sure the story turns out as he envisions.  

Tel Aviv on Fire is an incredible movie which remarkably gives insights on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict while remaining humorous and depicting characters from both sides of the conflict in a sympathetic light.  The film itself is a model of co-existence with well-accomplished Palestinian and Israeli actors working together.  The movie, both in the fictional and real world, shows that while the longstanding Israeli-Palestinian conflict may be difficult to resolve, little bits of coexistence and peace are already there.  

 

Doomsday, USA Play, Scenes 1 and 2

 By Nate Feldman 

Doomsday, USA

Scene 1: Josh is standing in front of a cabin and woods.  There is a sign saying “Camp Doomsday” beside him.

Josh: Hi!  My name is Josh, and I am from Doomsday, USA, a pristine, prosperous, but sometimes PETRIFYING town where, oh by the way, half of the inhabitants are humans, and the other half are monsters. 

And when I say monsters, I mean every type you can imagine.  Witches, warlocks, werewolves, and vampires.  Gremlins, ghouls, and goblins.  You name the monster, it lives in Doomsday.

As you know, humans and monsters have been in conflict with one another for ages.  Just last year, a group of monsters attacked a human community, ransacking the place and massacring thirty individuals along the way, devouring their brains.  In retaliation, a group of humans formed a large posse that went around town hunting down monsters, killing hundreds before it was all over.

This kind of back and forth has gone on for many years.  However, I don’t believe this has to be the case.  

I am the co-founder and director of Camp Doomsday (Josh turns around and points at the sign and the surrounding area).  This camp brings human and monster children together at a scenic location in the woods to explore nature and play games together, as well as to break down stereotypes of one another.  Camp Doomsday enables young humans and monsters to build long-lasting friendships.

Our staff at Camp Doomsday is reflective of the population of our community as a whole.  We have an equal amount of humans and monsters employed in a variety of positions.  We lead by example and show that with effort, monsters and humans are able to cooperate with one another and live in harmony.

So, whether you're a human or a monster, if you want your child to have the summer of a lifetime and make new friends they could otherwise never meet, reach out to us as soon as possible, and register your child for Camp Doomsday, the place where humans and monsters co-exist.  

 

Scene 2: Billy, a young male in his late teens/early twenties, and Ghazzel, a witch of similar age, arrive at a cabin in the middle of the woods. 

 Billy: So what is this place exactly?

 Ghazzel: Just an old cabin in the woods.  It must have been a camping spot. 

 The two embrace and kiss one another.

 Billy: Do you think Josh knows we are together? 

 Ghazzel: I’m not sure.  I think so.  He should understand.  Did you know his former wife was a witch herself? 

 Billy: I guess that’s what has got him into all this coexistence stuff. 

 They smile at one another. 

 Billy: What would your family think if they knew about us?

 Ghazzel (looking down for a second and then back up at Billy): Well, my father is open-minded.  After all, he let me work at Camp Doomsday for a reason. 

 Billy: There is a difference between being a counselor to young humans and having a romance with a human.

 Ghazzel: Yeah.  My brothers I must admit would have an issue.  A lot of warlocks are possessive of witches.  They don’t like us with any other creature, even fellow monsters, not just humans.  So, they’ll probably transform us into something hideous. 

 Billy: Or just kill us. 

 They embrace and kiss again. 

 Ghazzel: And what about your family?  Won’t they think I’m putting an evil spell on you?

 Billy (sarcastically): Aren’t you?  But, seriously, they’ll be fascinated.  That’s all.

 A rustling sound is heard in the woods.  Billy and Ghazzel look in the direction of the trees.

 Billy: We’d better get inside.

 Suddenly, a zombie jumps out from behind a tree.  Billy and Ghazzel shout.  Everything goes dark.

 

The Winter Medley

 By Nate Feldman

These are a collection of photos I took during the most recent winter storm a couple of weeks ago.  I am playing a collection of songs I call The Winter Medley to accompany them.  

Coexistence Corner Postcard

 By Nate Feldman

This postcard, titled Coexistence Corner, advocates good relations between people of various faiths.  The dove with the olive branch represents peace, while it is surrounded by symbols of Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism.  

Greetings from Philadelphia Postcard

 By Nate Feldman

This is the design for a new postcard I am making and plan to sell.  The drawing includes three iconic landmarks in Philadelphia: the Liberty Bell, the Liberty Place skyscraper, and the LOVE sculpture found in Love Park.  

I am making a series of postcards with illustrations of different places around Pennsylvania, the rest of the United States, and hopefully eventually the world.