Wajib (Annemarie Jacir, 2017): Palestine | France

Reviewed by: Juliana Carbon Viewed At: AFI FEST 2017

Annemaire Jacir’s, Wajib, is a wonderful story about the clash of generations in the modern age, and it’s beautifully done. Wajib captures the story of a young man named Shadi, played by Saleh Bakri, and his estranged father, Abu Shadi, played by Mohammad Bakri. They are on a traditional Palestinian mission to hand deliver the wedding invitations of Shadi’s sister, Amal, played by Maria Zreik. Shadi has been away from Palestine for awhile, living in Italy with his girlfriend that his father refuses to recognize as legitimate and buying colorful clothes that Abu Shadi finds ridiculous, as well as growing out his hair into man buns that do nothing but confuse his father and make him the subject of lighthearted ridicule . These are just some of the many micro issues that arise in their journey together, ultimately culminating in a story that is as beautiful and moving as it is frustrating and powerful.

The story plays on ideas of generation gaps in what people believe is the right thing to do. Shadi and his father have a lot of different attitudes about pretty much everything, including family trauma that has affected them directly. Shadi tends to take a more revolutionist viewpoint, especially in regards to politics, whereas Abu Shadi is a bit more traditional and disapproves of Shadi’s need to reinvent the wheel. I think that the dialogue between characters is what makes this movie so charming and beautiful, and that the costuming and set design also play an important role in the overall story. The majority of the dialogue involves Shadi and Abu Shadi poking fun at each other, and laughing together despite tension, or getting involved together in funny situations usually created by Abu Shadi and left with Shadi to deal with. They are obviously two people who love each other despite their differences and a couple of on screen arguments, and the use of a real life father son acting duo revitalizes this relationship onscreen and makes it that much more important to the viewer.

This movie tackles big issues and important conversations in a small scale that leaves you entertained and makes you think, something that I hope I can get out of every film I spend my time watching. Annemarie Jacir does an amazing job illustrating a story that utilizes mundane tasks to reflect humor and meaning, as well as creates a gorgeous film, from its setting to its use of light and dusk to give the entire film a feeling of magic. Wajib is a must see in my opinion, lighthearted in moments and serious in others, overall creating a beautiful story of a father and son overcoming differences and learning to live with each other and the choices that each other makes, even when they don’t agree.