YALLA PARKOUR
(DOC NYC, the USA’s largest documentary film festival, runs November 13 through December 1 (in-person and online) for its 15th edition. Check out Chris Reed’s movie review of Yalla Parkour. Seen it? Join the conversation with HtN on our Letterboxd Page.)
The only thing better than doing parkour is watching videos of other people doing it. Or not. But at least when you sit back to enjoy the record of someone else’s exploits you run no physical risk of your own. As much fun as the sport appears, it can be dangerous. I like my adrenaline rushes as much as anyone, but I’m not sure that leaping from building to building is quite on the table anymore.
In her feature debut, Yalla Parkour, director Areeb Zuaiter examines the art of outdoor acrobatics set against the backdrop of the ruined structures of Gaza. Her primary subject is Ahmed Matar. When the film begins, in 2015, he is not yet 20. He wants to use the footage of himself and his friends to obtain the necessary travel documents to leave home and travel abroad to competitions. In a land without much hope, he somehow projects both optimism and bonhomie.
Zuaiter has Palestinian roots, and is as much a character here as Matar, musing on long-ago memories of her mother’s that are inextricably a part of her present life in the United States. Soon after encountering Matar’s work online, she reaches out to him, beginning a series of virtual conversations that help her understand the reality of life under occupation. She follows him from afar, using the material he provides plus his social media posts for the visuals.
For Matar, leaving Gaza would allow him to fulfill his dreams but would also cut him off from family. It’s a conundrum that he is unlikely to face, anyway, given the obstacles in his path to get out. Despite an invitation to compete from a European organization, Matar’s battles with bureaucracy do not initially go well.
Zuaiter fills much of the screen with Matar’s shots of impressive physical feats atop bombed walls and collapsing edifices. Failure is as much a part of the training as anything, and we see videos from Matar’s earlier years, too, showing flips, somersaults, and falls that end in painful flops and, sometimes, more serious injury, including one devastating moment where a man plunges backwards from the top of an apartment complex (we cut away before impact). There’s no doubt a thrill in danger, but there is also the joy of accomplishment when it goes right. And without other avenues to success, what else is there to do?
Finally, we jump forward 7 years to discover what Matar is up to today. You can follow him on Instagram at matargaza to see for yourself, or watch this inspiring documentary to understand how his ambitions played out. It’s a harrowing journey, but also an encouraging one. At least for Matar. After the brutal Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023, and the massive Israeli reprisals that ensued, there appears little chance, for now, of today’s young Matars fleeing to safety. But a life saved is still a life saved. All those daring jumps paid off.
– Christopher Llewellyn Reed (@ChrisReedFilm)
2024 Doc NYC; Alexis Bloom; The Bibi Files
Post a Comment
