The Other Son (REVIEW)
by Ed Koch
This film is no blockbuster nor is it even one that you must see. It is interesting, however, because of its subject matter.
The sons of an Israeli and Palestinian couple were accidentally switched at birth. Joseph (Jules Sitruk) was raised by middle-class parents in Tel Aviv. His father, Alon (Pascal Elbe), is a high-ranking officer in the IDF and his mother, Orith (Emmanuelle Devos), is a physician. Yassin (Mehdi Dehbi) was raised on the West Bank by low-middle-income parents: auto mechanic, Said (Khalifa Natour), and his wife, Leila (Areen Omari).
The error is discovered through a blood test when the boys are 18 years old. Their outraged fathers are unable to cope with the problem. Their mothers, who seek to find a solution, are the most sympathetic characters for the audience.
Movies dealing with an Israeli-Palestinian issue attract wide audiences. Both sides are interested in how their people are treated and who comes out ahead. In my opinion, the Palestinians in this picture were treated a little better, but not by much. The downside of the film is that on occasion it becomes a bit of a soap opera.
(In French, Hebrew, Arabic and English, with English subtitles.)