By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3.5 cats
Director: Ra'anan Alexandrowicz
Starring: Arieh Elias | Salim Dau | Siyabonga Melongisi Shibe
Original language title: Massa'ot James Be'eretz Hakodesh
Country: israel
Year: 2004
Running time: 87
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0305178/combined
Chris says: “This colorful debut feature from Israeli director Ra’anan Alexandrowicz is a charming fable revising that well-worn tale of an innocent foreigner in a big city. Bright-eyed James (Siyabonga Melongisi Shibe), a young Christian minister, has traveled from his small African Zulu village in pilgrimage to Jerusalem, the Holy Land. His plans get derailed when immigration officials in Tel Aviv put him in jail; they think he’s just there to make a quick buck. Soon, Shimi (Salim Daw) arbitrarily pays for James’ bail and puts the unsuspecting young sojourner to work in his migrant labor pool.
“At first, James is distressed, but he soon easily falls under the consumerist allure of his surroundings. He befriends and works for Shimi’s gambling, shopworn father, Sallah (Aire Elias), who advises him not to be a ‘frayer’ (fool). James eventually starts working his way up the socioeconomic ladder;
he even goes into business for himself on the side. Consequently, his values and goals change, and he almost forgets about his original quest.
“While we’ve heard this kind of story before, the director brings it to life through a running, biting, but always fair commentary on contemporary Israel and its attitudes towards foreigners and the elderly. Shibe manages to make James’ transformation believable, and Elias stands out as his scheming but ultimately sympathetic mentor. Although the story’s trajectory is predictable and the joyous musical interjections of ‘Jerusalem!’ wear out their welcome after awhile, it all closes on a delightfully ironic ending.” 3 1/2 cats