Origin: Israel | Documentary | Director: Nissim Mossek | 53 minutes

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Shalom Abu Bassem is a documentary by Nissim Mossek about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that follows a New York Jewish settler and an Arab hummus vendor that are forced to live as neighbors in the heart of Jerusalem. The documentary spans a nearly twenty-year period, beginning before the First Intifada.

The family of Abu Bassam, long-time Muslim residents and the family of Danny Robbins, Jewish settlers, live close to each. Their relationship reflects the life of their street. Is it possible for the two men and their families to live together on Haladiya Street, given the street’s history of conflict, murder, and hate?

Filmed over 18 years, the film is a rare opportunity to see how the lives of Jewish and Muslim residents have intertwined in the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem's Old City. With the pathos of real people, living under extremely difficult conditions, the film Shalom Abu Bassem will make you more aware of the complexity of the conflict between the two peoples. Shalom Abu Bassem will appeal to your mind. And touch your heart!

The film won Best Editing at the Haifa International Film Festival.
The film was praised for presenting the conflict in Israel on a human level—instead of addressing it with talking heads and politicians in a sterile room.It was seen as an emotional and provocative documentary that allows people on both sides of the debate to look with compassion on their opposition and see the conflict from the opposite perspective. It's said that the documentary's lack of resolve allows for realism. While the film received mostly praise, one critic complained that the filmmaker's subtle editing decisions created a bias that followed in Michael Moore's tradition

Full feature: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwwjE4QHYYc (74 min, Hebrew)
https://vimeo.com/72576884 (53 min, English)

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