The Other Son, directed by Lorraine
Levy, is a new French feature film about Israelis and Palestinians
that confronts questions of national, personal and political
identity. I went to see the film with my daughter, Rabbi Dahlia Kronish, who is Director of Jewish and Student Life at the Heschel High School in Manhattan. The following reflects our joint comments:
The story revolves around two 18-year-olds and takes place in Tel Aviv and
in a small West Bank village. Joseph is about to be
drafted into the Israeli army. Yacine, from a West Bank Palestinian
family, has been studying in Paris. Joseph and Yacine were born on the same day in the same hospital in Haifa.
When Joseph goes for his medical
testing, it is discovered that his blood type is not compatible with
that of his parents. After further testing, his parents learn that
he is not their biological child and that he was mistakenly switched
with Yacine at birth.
While the film contains melodramatic
content, it is successful in that it weaves together scenes that are touching through
their delicate and sensitive approach to the difficult questions at
hand – questions of nature vs. nurture, of peoplehood and
religion, of familial love and obligation, and of relationships that
are formed across the divide. The movie relies on stereotypical
assumptions: accepting mothers, stoic fathers, jealous siblings,
nationalistic loyalties and deep-seated suspicion of the other.
Joseph quietly asks his mother, “Am I
still Jewish?” How do you react when you learn that you are living
someone else’s life? Does this change who you are fundamentally?
The Other Son is currently playing in
movie theaters across the U.S.
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