Le Cochon de Gaza

Review by Pilar Canón Ríos

The Short:

A Palestinian fisherman is going through economic problems because Israeli soldiers do not let him fish further than 4 kilometers from the coast. His life will turn upside down the day he finds a pig in the middle of the sea.

The Long:

Jaafar, a Palestinian fisherman, catches a Vietnamese pig while fishing. Torn between his faith, the conflict situation, and his poor economic situation, Jaafar decides to keep the pig and undertake an unusual trade with a Russia-Israeli woman, Yelena, who lives on the other side Israeli border. The movie portrayed the issues between Israel and Palestine in a satirical way. The consideration of the pig as an impure animal, both in Palestinian and Israeli lands, is the bridge that intends to trace the similarity between both sides and that guards a criticism of the situation in Gaza and the conflict in general. Despite the comical environment, the movie shows the reality of the war and the consequences for the population in Gaza, the extreme poverty, and the soldier occupation.

To watch or not to watch:

You have to watch it! It is a hilarious movie with several scenes that will make you laugh for sure. Despite the sad conflict situation, the movie aims to combine humor with people’s realities without being disrespectful. It does not pick sides in the conflict; it tries to show an objective look at a conflict that lasts to this day.