The Pig of Gaza

Fisherman Jafaar (Sasson Gabay) is truly not down on his luck. While other fishermen in Gaza are able to showcase impressive hauls on a daily basis, Jafaar's run-down boat only nets scraps and the smallest of fish. And as if that wasn't bad enough, the roof of his house is taken over by two Israeli soldiers as guards. Jafaar's wife Fatima (Baya Belal) tries to bear her husband's lies about their financial situation with dignity. But secretly she is consumed by despair. But just when it seems things can't get any worse for the couple, Jafaar nets a particularly problematic catch: a pot-bellied pig that has apparently fallen off a freighter from the Far East. Too bad pigs are considered unclean animals in Gaza, and Jafaar can't just get rid of the animal. After his attempt to sell his unusual catch to a German UN official (Ulrich Tukur) fails, Jafaar has to resort to another, much more dangerous ruse that will initially bring him financial relief, but will also put his life in danger...

The Pig of Gaza, especially in the first half of the film, does an excellent job of conveying an inherently heavy and tragic subject matter in a wonderfully light-hearted manner, laced with clever humor. Sasson Gabay, who already made a special impression in The Band Next Door, delivers an equally funny and endearing performance as the unlucky fisherman. It's just fun to watch Jafaar try to turn his bad luck into good luck, not letting constant setbacks discourage him. Even if the short scene with Ulrich Tukur comes across as a bit over the top, the first hour of the film is full of likeable and original ideas that coat the whole thing with a very engaging lightness. Approaching the Middle East conflict between Israel and Palestine in this way is extremely refreshing - and also much more effective - given the myriad of melancholy dramas that have dealt with the subject in recent years.

However, Sylvain Estibal unfortunately fails to sustain this tone until the end. Of course, it's understandable that the story must have its darker, more tragic aspects. But it would have been nice if the film could have kept its very own character even in these moments. But while Estibal leaves the production free of any clear political statements until almost the end, the last few minutes feel a bit out of place and simply disturbing. One gets the feeling here that, come hell or high water, a clear positioning has to be established after all, causing the film to lose much of its almost innocent humour and power.

However, even if the overall positive impression is a little tarnished at the end, The Gaza Pig is, on balance, a very original and charming take on a difficult subject. Its absurdity is unmasked through unagitated humour, which is just taken to extremes a little too much at the end. A nice piece of arthouse cinema that makes you laugh as well as think and can therefore be warmly recommended to lovers of sophisticated comedies with a satirical flavour. Worth seeing

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp