Wajib: The Wedding Invitation
Comedic Arabic drama observing the lives of Palestinians in Israel. Stars real-life father and son Mohammad Bakri and Saleh Bakri.
“The title of Wajib translates as ‘duty’, and it’s duty that brings architect Shadi (Saleh Bakri) from Rome back to Nazareth, where his sister Amal (Maria Zriek) is to be married. Local tradition dictates that Shadi and his divorced dad, Abu Shadi (Mohammad Bakri), must drive around town delivering wedding invitations. Friction is in the air even before the duo clamber into Abu Shadi’s beloved and beaten-up old Volvo. Shadi thinks the exercise is outdated and meaningless. For his father, it’s about maintaining important community rituals.” (Sydney Film Festival)
Less2017Rating: M, Offensive language96 minsPalestine, France, Germany, Colombia, Norway, Qatar, United Arab EmiratesArabic with English subtitles
DramaWorld CinemaFestival & Independent
- Director:
- Annemarie Jacir ('When I Saw You', 'Salt of This Sea')
- Writer:
- Annemarie Jacir
- Cast:
- Saleh BakriMohammad BakriLama Tatour
Wajib: The Wedding Invitation | Reviews
The Times
There's little here that bucks the conventional road-movie structure, but the droll script and humane performances are quite special.
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The New York Times
Ms. Jacir is a thrifty filmmaker; there's nothing frilly in this movie. But she is also a sensitive and imaginative and resourceful one.
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The Guardian
You might argue that the script is perhaps too tidy and neat, but the rich sense of place and multidimensional characters are too seductive to resist.
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Sydney Morning Herald
Grounded in locations that speak to the broader realities and personal differences in philosophy, the film has wry warmth and unexpected differences.
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Little White Lies
An eye-widening, culturally rich look at life inside a Palestinian family.
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Hollywood Reporter
Wajib gives an unfussily illuminating snapshot of modern-day Nazareth...
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Wajib: The Wedding Invitation | Release Details
Wajib: The Wedding Invitation is available to stream in New Zealand now on Apple TV and Academy On Demand and AroVision.