Returning to one’s homeland is an age old theme in literature and film. It often
involves a character or group of characters returning to a land, state, or province that
their ancestors fled or was once taken from them. Palestinian filmmaker, Annemarie
Jacir has explored the theme in at least two of her films, Salt of This Sea and When I
Saw You. Israeli filmmaker, Ayelet Menahemi’s film, Noodle also tells a story of
returning home but her main character isn’t returning to her physical homeland rather
she’s returning a young boy to his. These three films tell similar stories but in very
different ways, styles, and time periods. I look to compare these three films by
Annemarie Jacir and Ayelet Menahemi, specifically to explore the differences …show more content…
The fighters
become his family. The mountain training camp his home. Tarek even begins training
alongside the men, going through the same drills and physical endurance as the grown
Although Tarek feels a sense of security and purpose with the group, he never
loses sight of the reason he left the refugee camp. He continuously reminds the fighters
that he wants to join them when they return to Jerusalem to fight. Touissant and the
other men admire the Tarek’s spirit but they aren’t necessarily radicals and don’t
promote child soldiers. They tell Tarek, one day when he is ready, they will let him
come, hoping to appease the boy’s desire to go into battle with them and find his father.
After several weeks, Tarek’s mother shows up at the camp. She is furious with
Tarek for disappearing and her instinct is to take him back to the refugee camp
immediately. Tarek insists that his place is here with the men and that he will not return
with Ghaydaa. He is training so that one day (very soon he hopes) he will be ready to
go back to Jerusalem. Ghaydaa understands why Tarek is so driven but it scares her
and she is mad at Touissant and the other fighters for not returning Tarek to the …show more content…
They must stay back from Tarek a
ways as the jeep is currently passing the fence. Tarek hears them, he turns around and
catches his mother’s gaze. He stares into her eyes, telling her exactly what he is going
to do. As the jeep disappears behind a cluster of trees, Tarek runs for the border.
Ghaydaa takes off after her son but when she catches up to him, she doesn’t
turn him around. Instead she takes his hand and races with him against time to get past
the fence before the jeep comes back around. They risk being captured, jailed, possibly
returned back to the refugee camp, possibly killed. But they know they can’t continue to
wait and to hide and allow fate to take it’s course. They take responsibility for their own
fate and charge the border. The camera cuts just before Tarek and Ghaydaa make it to
the border fence. We, the audience will never know what exactly happens to them. If
they made it to Jerusalem or if they ever found the father. But we know attempting
involves a character or group of characters returning to a land, state, or province that
their ancestors fled or was once taken from them. Palestinian filmmaker, Annemarie
Jacir has explored the theme in at least two of her films, Salt of This Sea and When I
Saw You. Israeli filmmaker, Ayelet Menahemi’s film, Noodle also tells a story of
returning home but her main character isn’t returning to her physical homeland rather
she’s returning a young boy to his. These three films tell similar stories but in very
different ways, styles, and time periods. I look to compare these three films by
Annemarie Jacir and Ayelet Menahemi, specifically to explore the differences …show more content…
The fighters
become his family. The mountain training camp his home. Tarek even begins training
alongside the men, going through the same drills and physical endurance as the grown
Although Tarek feels a sense of security and purpose with the group, he never
loses sight of the reason he left the refugee camp. He continuously reminds the fighters
that he wants to join them when they return to Jerusalem to fight. Touissant and the
other men admire the Tarek’s spirit but they aren’t necessarily radicals and don’t
promote child soldiers. They tell Tarek, one day when he is ready, they will let him
come, hoping to appease the boy’s desire to go into battle with them and find his father.
After several weeks, Tarek’s mother shows up at the camp. She is furious with
Tarek for disappearing and her instinct is to take him back to the refugee camp
immediately. Tarek insists that his place is here with the men and that he will not return
with Ghaydaa. He is training so that one day (very soon he hopes) he will be ready to
go back to Jerusalem. Ghaydaa understands why Tarek is so driven but it scares her
and she is mad at Touissant and the other fighters for not returning Tarek to the …show more content…
They must stay back from Tarek a
ways as the jeep is currently passing the fence. Tarek hears them, he turns around and
catches his mother’s gaze. He stares into her eyes, telling her exactly what he is going
to do. As the jeep disappears behind a cluster of trees, Tarek runs for the border.
Ghaydaa takes off after her son but when she catches up to him, she doesn’t
turn him around. Instead she takes his hand and races with him against time to get past
the fence before the jeep comes back around. They risk being captured, jailed, possibly
returned back to the refugee camp, possibly killed. But they know they can’t continue to
wait and to hide and allow fate to take it’s course. They take responsibility for their own
fate and charge the border. The camera cuts just before Tarek and Ghaydaa make it to
the border fence. We, the audience will never know what exactly happens to them. If
they made it to Jerusalem or if they ever found the father. But we know attempting