When Bobby Goldman (JJ Field), an American Jew, meets Said Chahine (Said Taghmaoui), an Arab and a Muslim, in New York in 1946, a lifelong friendship is born. But the future of their friendship is in peril when the face of the Middle East changes forever.
These two men form a bond that even their heritage cannot break. But that bond will be tested time and time again.
Building the Jewish State
When they go to The Holy Land, Said is reunited with his family, and Bobby sees his old friend who has gone to help build the Jewish state. But with the impending British evacuation and the United Nations voting to establish a Jewish state, the two find themselves in a difficult situation. 1948 is setting up to be the pivotal time that will test the friendship once and for all.
Bobby soon joins the fight for his people, and Said does everything he can to stay out of the conflict, even though his brother urges him to take up the fight against the Jews. But Said is not as passionate about the fight as his brother is, until his family starts getting killed. Bobby attempts to visit his friend who is now a major fighter for the Arabs, but Said has to keep face with his own people and refuses to grant Bobby an audience. But deep in his heart he wants nothing harmful to happen to his American pal.
Bobby becomes one of the major participants in the siege of Jerusalem and soon he finds himself literally directly opposite his friend Said. With Said on one end of the gun and Bobby on the other, the two face an emotional point. The confrontation sets up the bond of friendship versus the bond of history in a very dramatic scene in the movie.
The Struggles of the People By the People
The events of the film involve those who were instrumental in the creation of Israel. David Ben-Gurion (Ian Holm) and Golda Meir (Tovah Feldshuh) are determined to keep peace but even more determined to establish the Jewish state.
The movie shows the struggles on both sides as everyone has a stake in the city which, ironically, is called the “City of Peace.” Based on historical accounts of the time, the film delves into the emotions that have taken root in the hearts and souls of the people of the Middle East.
- From Anchor Bay
- Rated R
- 101 Minutes
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