The Other Son

You must see the film The Other Son. Le Fils de L'Autre (more accurately translated The Others' Son, much more descriptive) is the story of two boys switched at birth, one Israeli, one Palestinian.  The boys are raised in close, supportive, loving families, one in Tel Aviv and one behind the wall on the West Bank. When the switch is revealed, both boys, age 18, have to cope with the thought they're living in each other's lives, in each other's skin. Mothers, fathers, siblings all have to re-examine identity, enmity and love.  This is a great movie, in French and Hebrew. The filmmakers are French. 

I got to see this film at the Museum of Tolerance , where the filmmaker failed to appear but comments from the audience, in a bit of post-film forum, ranged from "This film gives me hope" to "Islamists are at war with the west" (two Israelis) to "There is no Occupied Territory. This is the State of Israel" (an American).  This is a beautifully crafted piece of work that is a must-see for Middle East peaceworkers and I could not wait to tell you about it.



This is what some reviewers thought of it:

http://honeycuttshollywood.com/other-son-review/?_r=true

Hate is such a luxury. One can so easily indulge when you know little or nothing about a people, race or nation. How easy it is to objectify the unknown and then turn the object into a monster.

Lorraine Lévy’s “The Other Son” rips that luxury out of the hands of her Israeli and Palestinian characters when she forces them to meet a monster — who is their own flesh and blood.

The movie sounds like a gimmick and you cringe at the many ways it could go wrong. But it never does.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/film-other-son-le-fils-de-l-314229

Once the truth is out, Levy and co-writers Nathalie Saugeon and Noam Fitoussi explore the rippling effect it has on the two families, with each trying to cope with the fact that their own flesh and blood has been raised across enemy lines. Yet rather than dipping into pure melodrama or piling on the socio-political messages, the filmmakers tend to keep things extremely personal, revealing the emotional repercussions of the events on each character, as well as the human costs of the decades-long conflict.

http://prod3.agileticketing.net/websales/pages/info.aspx?epguid=1b480240-2738-4c73-be1f-483c23114bbf&evtinfo=36396~cb15eca8-60ee-4994-aed0-3a80721900eb
San Francisco Jewish Film Festival

While nothing can dampen both mothers’ love for their children, it is the other family members, particularly the fathers that have the most trouble adapting to this new reality. Everyone is forced to reconsider their identities, values and beliefs. Restrained and nuanced performances from the entire multinational cast (led by Emmanuelle Davos as Orith) elevate this memorable and touching family drama into an unforgettable viewing experience. A must-see for parents and for grown children. In other words, for everyone.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/28/the-other-son-trailer_n_1836043.html
Watch the trailer here

Looks like it will hit theaters October 26