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  • 2019
  • Cohen Media Group
  • 1 h 40 m
  • 2019
  • Cohen Media Group
  • 1 h 40 m
Tel Aviv on Fire

Summary Salam, an inexperienced young Palestinian man, becomes a writer on a popular soap opera after a chance meeting with an Israeli soldier. His creative career is on the rise - until the soldier and the show's financial backers disagree about how the show should end, and Salam is caught in the middle.

Directed By: Sameh Zoabi

Written By: Dan Kleinman, Ricardo Hernández Anzola, Sameh Zoabi

  • 2019
  • Cohen Media Group
  • 1 h 40 m
  • 2019
  • Cohen Media Group
  • 1 h 40 m
Tel Aviv on Fire
Metascore Generally favorable Based on 16 Critic Reviews
70
User Score Generally favorable
7.0
My Score
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Where to Watch

Summary Salam, an inexperienced young Palestinian man, becomes a writer on a popular soap opera after a chance meeting with an Israeli soldier. His creative career is on the rise - until the soldier and the show's financial backers disagree about how the show should end, and Salam is caught in the middle.

Directed By: Sameh Zoabi

Written By: Dan Kleinman, Ricardo Hernández Anzola, Sameh Zoabi

Where to Watch

Top Cast

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Critic Reviews

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Metascore
Generally favorable Based on 16 Critic Reviews
70
81% Positive
13 Reviews
19% Mixed
3 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
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Critic Reviews

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Metascore
Generally favorable Based on 16 Critic Reviews
70
81% Positive
13 Reviews
19% Mixed
3 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
83
Aug 1, 2019
Tel Aviv on Fire is a summer gem unlike any other you will see this year–an invitation to laugh at a world in decline.
FULL REVIEW
75
Aug 7, 2019
Director Sameh Zoabi relies on the old adage that we have more in common than not, but it’s a lesson that bears repeating — particularly when laughs come with it.
By David Lewis FULL REVIEW
75
Aug 1, 2019
Nashef is a sombre Roberto Benigni in his role as a sincere bumbler, defusing situational bombs with hummus-based subterfuge and desperate diplomacy. This satire in Hebrew and Arabic is an answer in an allegorical and comical way, about a mad circumstance and a man in the middle of it. A tense and painful backdrop, sure, but there’s no stick up Zoabi’s butt, just an olive branch.
By Brad Wheeler FULL REVIEW
75
Jul 29, 2019
A determinedly easygoing comedy about the Israeli-Palestinian divide, Tel Aviv on Fire gets by on the low-keyed assurance of its cast and its medium-grade amusements.
By Michael Phillips FULL REVIEW
70
Aug 1, 2019
The story risks being overwhelmed along with its protagonist — pulled apart by too many competing arcs that collide in ways that aren’t always graceful. But on the other hand, too neat a movie might risk inauthenticity.
By A.O. Scott FULL REVIEW
60
Aug 1, 2019
Tel Aviv on Fire, like the soap opera that shares its name, doesn't attempt to grapple with the complexities of the conflict. "Is there nothing between bombs and surrender?" it asks, pleading for moderation. Moderation gets you a pleasant-enough comedy. But not much more.
By Barbara VanDenburgh FULL REVIEW
50
Jul 30, 2019
Despite its loaded premise, Tel Aviv On Fire rarely sparks more than mild amusement.
By Lawrence Garcia FULL REVIEW

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Details

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Production Company Samsa Film, Lama Films, TS Productions, Artémis Productions, BE TV, Gesher Multicultural Film Fund, Israeli Film Fund, Luxembourg Film Fund, Philophon, Radio Télévision Belge Francophone (RTBF), Shelter Prod, VOO
Release Date Aug 2, 2019
Duration 1 h 40 m
Genres
Tagline The Comedy That Crosses Borders and Breaks Boundaries
Website http://www.artemisproductions.com/films/Tel_Aviv_On_Fire
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Awards

Awards of the Israeli Film Academy
• 1 Win & 4 Nominations
Venice Film Festival
• 2 Wins & 3 Nominations
Festival International de Film Saint-Jean-de-Luz
• 2 Wins & 2 Nominations

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