The fighting in Gaza is less intense at the moment thanks to the fragile ceasefire, but the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians continues. Sustained negotiations are required to address past grievances and to arrive at a just and sustainable peace.
But what if instead of humorless politicians sitting around the table, each side sent a team of comedians? Is laughter perhaps the best way to break through anger and hurt?
In Amber Fares’s film, COEXISTENCE, MY ASS!, we meet Noam Shuster-Eliasi, a former UN staffer who decided to leave politics to become a comedian. As we follow Noam from the early days of developing her one-woman show, through the pandemic shutdown, and to the horrific events of October 7, 2023, and the early days of the war in Gaza, we see a warrior for peaceful coexistence who won’t give up on her quest to use humor to make people see the truth.
Just like the fool in King Lear, comedians have a unique ability to speak truth to power. And as late-night hosts struggle to stay on the air in the US, we see that the effort to suppress political satirists is not confined to the Middle East.
Our conversation with filmmaker Amber Fares, and the subject of her documentary Noam Shuster Eliassi starts now, on INSIDE THE ARTHOUSE
COEXISTENCE, MY ASS! follows Israeli activist-comedian Noam Shuster Eliassi as she creates a comedy show by the same name. Shot over five tumultuous years, the film traces Noam’s personal, professional, and political journey in tandem with the region’s steady deterioration.
Raised in a bilingual Israeli-Palestinian village — the only intentionally integrated community in the country — Noam grows disillusioned with traditional peace activism. She pivots to stand-up and quickly attracts attention across the Middle East. But as her star rises, everything around her falls apart. With biting satire, Noam pushes her audiences to face difficult truths that aren’t always funny but do remind us that another reality is possible