Pomegranates and Myrrh – Al-mor wa al rumman (2008)

Directed by: Najwa Najjar | 95 minutes | drama | Actors: Yasmine Massri, Ali Suleiman, Ashraf Farah, Hiam Abbas, Walid Abdul Salam, Ahmad Abu Sal’oum, Yosef Abu Wardeh, Valentina Abu-‘Aksa, Manal Awad, Wardeh Dukwar, Samia Kuzmoz, Dorin Munawayyer, Hussein Nakleh, Lufuf Nuweiser, Lea Tsmeal

Newly married couple Kamar (Yasmine Massri) and Zaid (Ashraf Farah) have a hard time. Contrasted with their happiness together is that they live on the border of Palestine and Israel. In this region, where violence is the order of the day, their lives and those of their families are in almost continuous danger. When one day a number of Israeli soldiers come to claim the land of Zaid’s family, the family does not let this heritage be taken away without a fight. After the short-lived riot that follows, Zaid is arrested by the military and charged with beating a soldier in uniform. During Zaid’s incarceration, Kamar turns to her other passion, dancing. During her dance lessons she meets the Palestinian Kais (Ali Suleiman) and the two quickly develop a more than good bond.

The Palestinian director Najwa Najjar chooses to focus in ‘Pomegranates and Myrrh’ on Kamar and her love for dancing. A choice with which she apparently tries not to draw too much attention to the enormously sensitive political situation between the Palestinian territories and Israel. Najwa Najjar does show the powerlessness of the citizens. She wants to show how the ordinary citizens living in this region bear the brunt of the political situation and what the impact can be on an apparently average Palestinian family. She succeeds reasonably well in this endeavor. There are enough scenes in the film where the civilians are helpless against the power of the soldiers and which are illustrative of the suffering of the ordinary citizen. In one of the later scenes, in which the Israeli soldiers occupy a village, one of the civilians rages at the soldiers to make it clear that she is missing out on her customers because of this occupation and that her café is destroying it.

Yet it is the dance scenes that provide ‘Pomegranates and Myrrh’ with the much-needed variety. Because the further story, in which Zaid’s family, together with Kamar, tries with all their might to get Zaid free, but is continuously opposed by the Israeli authorities, does not amount to much. The dance scenes, supported by appropriate music, are a very welcome change and run like a red thread through the story.

Najwa Najjar ultimately manages not to dwell too much on the political situation with ‘Pomegranates and Myrrh’, although at times it is unavoidable. More than that, it has become a story about hope and love in difficult times. A film where no one should expect miracles, but one that leaves you with a good feeling.