The fate of the Israeli public television continues to be uncertain, in a very volatile political situation. The best response of TV programs creators in these situations is to continue to do what some of them know how to do well – that is good, independent and interesting shows, reports, documentaries or fiction films and series that justify in the eyes the spectators and perhaps also the financiers the existence of such an institution. From this point of view ‘East Side‘, the mini-series of which I have finished watching the ten episodes of the first (and maybe the only, but who knows?) season, continues, in my opinion, the line of interesting and courageous series, which bring on screen events and characters from sectors of Israeli reality with which even many of us who live here are unfamiliar. I would like to emphasize the idea of courage, because the story in the series ‘East Side‘ takes place in the eastern part (disputed and populated mostly by Arab population) of Jerusalem and deals with a phenomenon that is very controversial in Israel and almost unanimously condemned in the rest to the world: expanding Jewish control over this part of the city by purchasing property in Arab neighborhoods. Building a complex story, with characters belonging to the various communities that populate the city and in relationships ranging from uncomfortable coexistence to violent conflict, the creators of the miniseries (created by Yossi Madmoni and Yael Rubinstein) knew that they were taking enormous risks and primarily that of offending everyone, despite efforts to be impartial or at least to balance viewpoints. The result is indeed controversial, but also interesting and important by raising the issue itself, precisely at a delicate and tense moment in Jerusalem’s history (but are there ever quiet moments?).
The main hero is called Momi, a complex character with many highlights and shadows. A former officer in the Israeli security forces, Momi deals in real-estate deals of a special kind: the purchase of houses from Arab owners for Jewish organizations. It is a very delicate kind of business, involving dangers on the part of all participants. Momi’s life is divided between this kind of business and his personal life in which he takes care of his autistic daughter, who has to pass the entrance exams for military service, which would greatly increase her chances of integrating into society. The ten episodes of the series allow us to get to know a variety of characters representative of the so diverse and contradictory mosaic of people living in Jerusalem. The quality of the writing derives from the fact that clichés are avoided and an approach as objective and unbiased as possible is attempted. The Israeli viewer can recognize in these characters figures similar to those he knew in reality, while the foreign viewer can get an idea of the diversity of people, relationships and problems that mingle in this turbulent place. Several of the characters are memorable: Momi himself and his daughter; the Muslim family who, after selling their house, becomes the target of revenge by Palestinian organizations; Theodoros, the Orthodox Christian patriarch who is being pressured to sell a church-owned hotel in the Old City; Meira, head of the settler organization, whose husband had been killed in a terrorist attack; the young gay Arab, former collaborator of the security services, who takes care of his sick father; Sophronius, the monk who entertains a forbidden relationship with a married woman and hesitates between the two worlds. Each of the characters is well-defined and truthful, both as a psychological profile and as a piece in the social and political mosaic. The setting is always Jerusalem, with the streets of the Old City, its hills and the sky that seems closer here than anywhere else in the world.
The ten episodes of the series allow the development of the characters and of several parallel lines of action. Like the population of Jerusalem, the film has an international cast, being spoken in Hebrew, Arabic, English and Greek. Some of the actors are well-known to the Israeli public (the main role is played by Yehuda Levi, a star of the Israeli TV series), others are less well-known, and all surprise in a good way. One of the episodes, which delves into the personal history of the Orthodox patriarch, takes place on a Greek island and is spoken entirely in Greek, probably as a result of collaboration with a local television studio. Except for this episode, in all the other, threads of action intertwine and advance in parallel. Some conclude, but many remain in suspense even after the final episode of the season. I’m curious how ‘East Side‘ will be received abroad. It is likely that if it enjoys international success, other seasons will follow. There are enough premises in the final episode, and especially there is Jerusalem, a place where conflicts and legends, sacred and passions constantly meet in proposing an infinite number of topics to address.