Director Eytan Fox explains the ending
Like some others, I neither liked, nor understood the ending. There, I've said it. For whatever reason, something about it was just felt wrong, wrong, wrong. But hey, that's my take on it. I didn't make the movie so I don't get a say but I wanted to understand what the ending was meant to mean so perhaps I could understand it better. I found the answer and sadly, I still don't get it but I can live with that.
The full interview with Eytan Fox can be found here https://en.qantara.de/content/interview-with-eytan-fox-falling-in-love-with-the-enemy
Q/ The main criticism of your film is directed at the final scene with the suicide attack. What would move a peaceful apolitical Palestinian like Ashraf to blow himself up along with a number of other Israelis, and of all places in front of the restaurant where he had a part-time job?
Fox: The final scene was clear to us right from the beginning. Our model was tragedies like Romeo and Juliet and other lovers in times of war who fall in love with "the enemy".
Q/ But they committed suicide without murdering innocent people.
Fox: I've never believed that suicide bombers were crazy or fanatic Muslims. Most of them are in many ways like you and me, just normal people, some have families, some also have children. I've researched the topic very thoroughly.
What interests me is how someone can be pushed into a corner so hard that this is his only option. He does it in front of this specific restaurant to protest against the total rejection that he feels from all sides. As a gay man in Palestine, he has to prove that he's not a traitor who sleeps with the Israeli enemy. But he also does it in front of a place that is so familiar to him in the hope that someone will stop him at the last minute, someone who loves him. Noam tries. Only when he realizes that he can't prevent the attack does he decide to die together with Ashraf in a moment of love.
EDIT: I just had a thought, why didn't Ashraf just let Jihad blow himself up? That would have solved a lot of problems.
That's my 2 cents and no, you can't have it! share