Synopsis
Documentary of three gay men living in the Palestine-Israel region trade reflections on their situation and that of the region they live.
Oriented
2015 Directed by Jake Witzenfeld
Director
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This is one of those documentaries without any talking head segments, where all the editorializing takes the form of conversations the subjects are having with each other.
I'm glad this movie exists and gives a voice to a few Palestinian queer people. I would love to see something like this include some queer women, obviously, but there's still a lot here. The one guy complaining about Israeli Jews telling him to "go back to some Arab country and see how they treat you" when he complained about homophobia in Israel was eerily familiar from hearing that kind of shit from Americans all the time. Speaking of America, it was a bit heartbreaking to hear that one guy say that his…
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this felt a bit uneven at times but u know what... gay friendships and gay people supporting each other are the most heartwarming & important things thanks!
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There are so many identities colliding in Oriented it is sometimes hard to keep up. That holds for both the audience and for the doco's three protagonists, Khader, Fadi and Naim. Living in Tel Aviv, labels tend to overlap. They blur. They liberate and they occupy.
In his film's introductory passages, director Jake Witzenfeld has each of the boys state where they personally draw the lines that surround their identities. Fadi is struggling with the right to call himself Palestinian. Khader is openly Palestinian and in a relationship with David, an Israeli Jew. Naim is gay but not yet out to his parents.
There are battlefronts here, but they're not where most audiences outside the Middle East would expect. The…
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2017 Queer Films Challenge
Week 7 - A Middle Eastern queer filmA pretty simple with a lot more subject matter that should be told if it was expanded some. These men all support one another, have their fears, have their differences and yet, have one another to find support with and friendship.
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Week 7: A Middle Eastern queer film
Writing a review for Oriented is proving harder than I anticipated, because I have ton of thoughts about it. In some ways, the lives of these Palestinian men and their group of friends is so familiar to me; they hang out and share their feelings about their relationships. They travel to big cities to dance where they don't feel judged. They dream, and talk politics, and goof around.
In other ways, their lives couldn't be more different. They live in a place that as far as I know has perpetually been in conflict (I'd really like to learn more about the history of Israeli-Palestinian relations). They take shelter during…
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While the issue of identity lies at the core of Oriented, the movie’s most fascinating aspect is its appeal as a piece of playful ethnography. These are not shy subjects, and they allow Witzenfeld to observe the less cinematic moments of their lives. Be it sitting around the living room silently checking their phones, early morning confession sessions where the pleasures of the night gives way to the clear light of day, or simple unfocused conversations over beers on the way to, or coming back from, the nightclub. These moments don’t just color these individuals’ lives, they are crucial to defining them.
Full review in <a href="http://www.boulderweekly.com/entertainment/screen/three-young-men-seek-identity-in-oriented/"Boulder Weekly.
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Part of my Queer Film Challenge
Week 28: A middle eastern queer filmThis documentary is very interesting and powerful. I realized watching this that not only am I severely ignorant on politics in the Middle East but also that I am very lucky to have been born where I am. America is not the best country in the world but at least my life is not defined by conflict. And as a cisgender, white male, I have a lot of privilege in America. This documentary is very strong and touching and of course I’m gonna tear up any time someone comes out. It does leave a few things left unanswered, but it is a great film.
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This was an interesting look at another culture's views on sexuality. It could have explored that even more. Despite that I liked seeing these men support each other through their lives.
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So far there's definitely been quite a few documentaries in this challenge, but even if it feels a little weirder reviewing them I've been kinda enjoying them for being something a bit different at the least, and the whole queer aspect doesn't exactly hurt either.
While this movie very much wasn't focusing on the actual Israel-Palestine conflict, and instead really just on their lives as they're living and being gay in the middle of it, it's still pretty much impossible to really ignore its presence in everything, and part of why I'm glad we ended up watching this was because it actually did get me doing research about the situation that I really should have probably done a long time…
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Simple, charming and probably the first piece of media I've watched that goes into the Israel-Palestine conflict on a personal scale.
Even when it touches on very tense political topics and the intersections of race, religion, and sexuality (and it's a shame that LOT of interesting topics are only touched upon in a brief 80 minute runtime), Khadir, Fadi, Nagham and Naim's lives are full of dimension, vibrancy and casual conversations at bars that keeps the film incredibly human.
Week 24 of The 2017 Queer Film Challenge
"A queer documentary" -
Fadi's parents being so openly accepting of his identity/independence as a queer man is the exact type of mentality that must also be embodied by those of the queer Arab musicians and personalities I follow. Like the BBC journalist who expects anyone of the region to have a tragic story, more of the world needs to be reminded that those types of families absolutely exist. To see how Khader was moved to tears in the presence of such a progressive household speaks volumes about the sadder realities for other people of many different cultures, not just this part of the world.
While the drama of falling for a Zionist is quite mind-boggling from my own perspective, it doesn't detract much from the general premise and importance of their experiences. This is ultimately just something to watch about friendship, optimism, and showcasing an authentic glimpse into some Palestinian lives beyond whatever horrors the world usually sees from the Western media.
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Steve's Film Studies ~ ARAB - PALESTINE/ISRAEL ~ Documentary
'Oriented' - Directed by Jake Witzenfeld
WHY SEE THIS FILM ?
1. RT 50%
www.rottentomatoes.com/m/oriented
2. IMDB 6,7/10. Few regional awards.
3. “I think a lot of people who saw the movie changed their minds about what it is to be a gay Arab and a gay Palestinian”
variety.com/2015/film/global/documentary-oriented-looks-at-gay-palestinians-in-tel-aviv-1201577362/
4. Film website: www.orientedfilm.com/about
