Set against a backdrop of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Palestinian rapper Kareem and his singer girlfriend Manar struggle, love and make music in their crime-ridden ghetto and Tel Aviv's hip-hop club scene. Junction 48 is the love story of two young Palestinian hip-hop artists who use their music to fight against both the external oppression of Israeli society and the internal repression of their own crime-ridden, conservative community. It depicts a new generation of young Arabs who seek normality through their love and music - and against all odds. The pick of the Berlinale Panorama Audience Award has never let me down. Last year that pick was Junction 48 - another hidden masterpiece that I have discovered thanks to that award. The movie shows the harsh reality of the Palestinian in Israel using the very gentle and positive means of the youth culture. And that's what I loved about this movie - it completely involves you in the way of life without making you at the end feeling sick because of all tragedies happening in the movie. The movie also has a good balance of critical comment on all sides of Israeli and Arab society. Both communities have some rotten apples, but also some positive people who want to live, enjoy life and create art. As a final note, make yourself a favor and check the website of the movie. The music videos there will keep the memory of the hip hop movement in Israel with you for a long time. This movie tells the story of a young Palestinian called Kareem, who lives in the city of Lod/Lydda in Israel and dreams of a career as a hip- hop-artist. The history of the city makes it an area of conflict between Jews and Muslims and soon, Kareem gets into a lot of trouble unwillingly.<br/><br/>Although this is the main plot, several other issues are addressed, such as drug-dealing, religious fundamentalism and all kinds of family issues. Very much for 100 minutes.<br/><br/>It may seem like this film is political. But this is not the case. In fact, it shows problems on both sides. Neither the Israelis, nor the Palestinians are shown as the "good ones".<br/><br/>The main message is another one: It is about the importance and power of music to unite people. In this case, it is about hip-hop and rap. But don't worry: You don't need to be familiar with the underground-culture to enjoy this movie and its sound.<br/><br/>But some weaknesses are still there. The acting of some supporting characters is very poor and the film is told in a confusing way at the beginning. Also, it is a weird mixture between a feel-good-movie and a drama.<br/><br/>However, I generally recommend this movie, for it's a enjoyable experience overall. Junction 48 is about a fusing of cultures, not a conflict between them. There are no easy solutions or simplistic answers, and the film doesn’t try to propose any.
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326 weeks ago