COEXISTENCE, MY ASS!

Check out Chris Reed’s Coexistence, My Ass! movie review, it’s in theaters now! Seen it? Join the conversation with HtN on our Letterboxd Page.)

Noam Shuster-Eliassi is an Israeli comedian and politically progressive activist. A self-described “brown Jew,” she is the daughter of an Iranian Jewish mother and a Romanian Jewish father. Both parents believe in the power of community to uplift the human species, rather than sow division, and moved the family to the village of Neve Shalom/Wahat as-Salam (“Oasis of Peace” in Hebrew and Arabic) to raise their child in a place where both Arabs and Jews live together in harmony. As a result, Noam grew up bilingual (with English and a little bit of Persian Farsi thrown into the mix, too) and a firm proponent of choosing love over hate.

In the documentary Coexistence, My Ass!, director Amber Fares (Speed Sisters) follows Shuster-Eliassi as she prepares and then performs her eponymous one-woman standup show, starting with a 2019 residency at Harvard University. Though it may seem difficult to find humor in the longstanding conflict between Palestinians and Israelis, this does not deter our subject, whose background gives her jokes a unique bite. She leavens the comedy with sincere asides rooted in the compassion that drives her, but make no mistake, Noam Shuster-Eliassi is very funny.

Fares cuts back and forth through time, using archival footage to show how the younger Noam became the thirtysomething of today. Mom and dad play a crucial role, as do her best friend Ranin (an Israeli Arab) and writing partner, Moriah. A repeating theme is the question of Noam’s love life, as various family members wonder aloud when she’ll finally find a partner. But mostly, this is a film about confronting the powerful and complacent with uncomfortable truths.

As nonfiction biopics go, the narrative is straightforward, with the flow of information slowly answering the questions raised from earlier context. What makes Coexistence, My Ass! special is the unflinching approach of both director and protagonist to the material. In the third decade of the 21^st century, it is now more difficult than ever to proffer criticism of Israel’s policies towards the Palestinians without being labeled either an antisemite or, if one is a Jewish Israeli, a traitor. Under Prime Minister Netanyahu, the country has tacked sharply to the far right, leaving little room for ideological nuance. It’s us vs. them, all the way, with the requisite dehumanizing of the enemy. None of this was made any easier by the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas.

The movie returns, over and over, to Shuster-Eliassi on stage, emphasizing her considerable charisma and wit. She can also be deadly serious, reminding us that “coexistence doesn’t happen between the oppressor and the oppressed but between two equals.” It’s “not complicated, but simple,” she says, to achieve lasting peace. If only others didn’t benefit from violence. We laugh through very bitter tears.

– Christopher Llewellyn Reed (@ChrisReedFilm)

Home Made Docs; Amber Fares; Coexistence, My Ass! movie review

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