The Cousin
The Cousin is both a darkly comical exploration of Arab-Israeli relations and a cautionary allegory about a universal phenomenon – the fear of ‘the other’ – that can so easily turn into racism.
Starring himself, and his own wife and children, and filmed in his home, THE COUSIN, written, directed and produced by Tzahi Grad, is a wry comedy about testing the very best of motivations. A local media personality brings a Palestinian labourer home to patch up the crumbling studio in his garden, but Fahed isn’t the man Naftali thought he was hiring. Later that day, rumours begin to circulate: a young woman who lives near the builders’ yard has been assaulted and fingers immediately point to Fahed, the outsider in their midst.
Tzahi Grad, Israël, 2017, 93 min. Hebrew & Arabic spoken, English subtitles.
With Ala Dakka, Tzahi Grad, Osnat Fishman.