Shelf Pick: Wrestling Jerusalem Trailer

If you’re a politics junky, current affairs aficionado or history nerd, then chances are you’re at least somewhat familiar with the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. If you live in the Middle East this is not even a question, but for most people outside of the region or people entirely removed from its effects, day-to-day developments in the ongoing struggle simply aren’t a consideration, nor is general awareness of the origins of the conflict or the reasons it continues. If you want to learn more about the current state of things in Israel and Palestine – or are simply tired of the overbearing US political news machine and want an interesting and eye-opening change of pace – we recommend checking out Wrestling Jerusalem, actor/director Aaron Davidman’s 2016 film exploring the complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in an incredibly unique way.

Adapted from his play of the same name, Wrestling Jerusalem puts Davidman in the role of seven people on different sides of the long-running conflict, from a rabbi and an IDF soldier, to two American Jews of differing political stripes, a Palestinian running into trouble trying to cross the border, an Israeli member of parliament, and a simple farmer trying to get by. It’s a fascinating adaptation that brings the director’s acclaimed solo play to life in a far more dynamic way than could ever be afforded on stage.

Watch the Wrestling Jerusalem trailer below:

Watch the Wrestling Jerusalem trailer below:Here’s the official Wrestling Jerusalem synopsis:

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In a tour-de-force performance, writer-actor Aaron Davidman conjures a host of different characters while seeking answers to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in WRESTLING JERUSALEM. Creatively adapting his acclaimed one-man stage show using only simple props and backdrops, Davidman takes a multidimensional journey into the heart of the Middle East, and the intersection of politics, identity and spiritual yearning. He embodies and gives voice to 17 different characters on all sides of the existential divide–deftly moving between male and female, Jewish and Muslim, Israeli and Arab–modeling what it takes truly to bear witness through the eyes of the other. Challenging long-held beliefs with sharp and unblinking observation, Davidman finds both entrenched isolation and shared humanity in the shifting moral compasses and competing narratives of all his characters. Filmmaker Dylan Kussman moves freely and seamlessly among three locations–a live theater audience, the open expanse of a vast desert, and a small dressing room–exploiting the interplay of theatrical spontaneity, cinematic poetry, and spiritual intimacy. The result is a unique hybrid of stage and cinema that reignites hope for the future of this troubled region.