Hip, hot and Hebrew — The Bubble shows a side of Tel Aviv not often seen onscreen
Crossing a checkpoint in Israel means two things — delays and division — but it’s also where two star-crossed lovers catch each other’s gaze for the first time. One is a young Palestinian man named Ashraf (Yousef Sweid) and the other is Noam (Ohad Knoller), an Israeli youth completing his obligatory reserve duty. The two men instantly share a connection.
The Bubble’s opening scene looks like something right out of a political documentary, a stark contrast to the film’s sexy marketing poster featuring four naked twentysomethings. As the film moves from the checkpoints and begins meandering through the streets of Tel Aviv, it’s clear the city is not unlike our own, full of life and ambition. Welcome to the world shared by Noam and his friends — they are hip, hot and Hebrew.
Noam’s friends accept Ashraf into their lives, renaming him “Shimi” so he can stay in Tel Aviv despite being a Palestinian without a permit. Noam’s roommates Yalli and Lulu then get Ashraf a job at a café and plan a beach rave to protest the occupation. These are young people who want to make love, not war. Still, Ashraf cannot hide on the Jewish side forever. He must return for his sister’s wedding, and what unfolds is an explosive coming out.
Director Eytan Fox, who also co-wrote the film, has surprises in store for the audience. The Bubble is a difficult film to categorize; at best it can be described as a modern gay love story in the Middle East with a hippie outlook, at least until the bubble bursts. Even that description is limiting. Eyton’s third feature film follows upon the success of Walk on Water and his debut film Yossi and Jagger (both available on DVD). He has a pulse on Israeli youth and understands that the people of Israel and the Palestinian territories press on with life despite the harsh realities of the continuing conflict.
Knoller’s Noam and Sweid’s Ashraf represent the heart of the film. Their performances are outstanding, with a subtle chemistry between them that shows both raw emotion and true physical beauty. The politics of their love mirrors the politics of the conflict. Despite Eyton’s genre switching and the film’s earnest character, The Bubble touches upon a universal quest of hope before the grim reality sets in. Life in a bubble is grand, but it’s not real, and this film brings the truth of that notion to screen beautifully.
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