Partner With The Enemy (Duki Dror, Chen Shelach, 2015) : Israel.

Reviewed by Magali Vautrin. Viewed at SBIFF 2015.

Duki Dror  and Chen Shelach two really well experienced directors are offering us the greatest documentary of the Santa Barbara Film Festival 2015. The two directors of this documentary succeeded in the way that they show the audience the difficulties Israelite and Palestinian people have their countries. They succeeded in showing us the hard truth about what is going on there.The film Partner With The Enemy “attempts to portray a topic that has been over-politicized and even abused, using humor and personal stories to demonstrate the absurdity of the political situation in Israel and Palestine” says Dror.

Two women, one Israelite and One Palestinian are trying to create a business to make possible and easier the importation and exportation of products between Israel- Palestine- and the rest of the world. We follow the everyday life of these two strong women , who, even if they are from two different cultures and religions, do respect and love each other like two sisters sharing the same blood; both fighting for others. We are following their journey between the Palestinian and Israelite borders.

The composition of the documentary is great. I really felt I was there with them; struggling with those two women in their “man’s words”. I was watching at their everyday life and not at someone sitting on a chair telling his story and just having some random insert shot. I could follow their everyday lives, troubles and happiness and that is what make this documentary a true and real documentary. Each shot was important and at the right place. The voice over that accompany the documentary is the two women talking about their feelings and doubts.

I would really recommend this documentary, it really worse the time to be watch. I did not felt bored one moment. I enjoyed from the very beginning to the very end. By watching this documentary, the audience is learning something. This is the kind of documentary that open your eyes to the world. This conflict between those two countries still exist and what is happening there is even more catastrophic nowadays.

As would Roger Ebert says : “Peace in the Middle East will come about more easily if the region were governed by women”.