Arab Labor
| Arab Labor | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Comedy-drama |
| Written by | Sayed Kashua |
| Directed by |
Ronnie Ninio (season 1) Shai Kapon (season 2-4) |
| Starring | Norman Issa, Clara Khoury, Salim Dau, Salwa Nakra, Fatma Yihye, Mariano Idelman, Mira Awad |
| Opening theme | DAM |
| Country of origin | Israel |
| Original language(s) | Arabic, Hebrew |
| No. of seasons | 4 |
| No. of episodes | 43 (+ Independence Day special) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Daniel Paran |
| Producer(s) | Yoni Paran |
| Location(s) | Israel |
| Running time | 48 minutes |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | Channel 2 (Keshet) |
| Original run | 2007 – Still running |
Arab Labor (Hebrew: עבודה ערבית, Avoda Aravit; Arabic: شغل عَرَب , Shurul Arab) is an Israeli sitcom television series, created by Sayed Kashua.
History
The series premiered on Keshet Channel 2 in Israel in 2007. The second season was broadcast in 2008 and the third season in 2012.[1] The series, whose title in colloquial Hebrew carries the implication of "shoddy or second-rate work",[2] focuses on the family and work situations of Amjad, an Arab-Israeli journalist. Much of the comedy is derived from the paradox of Amjad's love-hate relationship with his Arab identity and his simultaneous wish to integrate comfortably into Israeli society.[3]
Poking fun at the cultural divide, Kashua's characters play on religious, cultural and political differences to depict the mixed society prevalent in Jerusalem.[2]
Cast
- Amjad (Norman Issa) – An Arab-Israeli journalist working in Jerusalem[4]
- Meir (Mariano Idelman) – Amjad's Jewish-Israeli coworker at the magazine
- Bushra (Clara Khoury) – Amjad's wife
- Amal (Mira Awad) – An Arab-Israeli attorney to whom Meir is attracted
- Ismael, Abu Amjad (Salim Dau) – Amjad's father
- Umm Amjad(Salwa Nakra (seasons 1-3), Alham Araff (season 4)) – Amjad's mother
- Maya (Fatma Yihye) – Amjad and Bushra's daughter
- Natan (Dov Navon) and Timna (Rona Lipaz-Michael) - Joined in Season 2, neighbors of Amjad and Bushra
- Yoske (Arye Moskuna) and Yocheved (Sandra Sade) - Seasons 2 and 3 only, neighbors of Amjad and Bushra
- Ami Schuster (Menashe Noy) - Joined in Season 3, Amjad's agent
Reception
The Chicago Tribune described it as "... a groundbreaking TV show that finds humor in sharing a homeland." The New York Times commented, "Kashua has managed to barge through cultural barriers and bring an Arab point of view ... into the mainstream of Israeli entertainment."[2]
Reviews
- Mary McNamara (15 November 2008). "Finding humor and truth amid conflict". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 28 September 2012.
- Jonathan Curiel (13 November 2008). "Meet the Palestinian Seinfeld. Who knew?". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 29 September 2012.
- Ali Jaafar (1 February 2008). "Israeli sitcom about Arabs a hit". Variety. Retrieved 29 September 2012.
- Isabel Kershner (7 January 2008). "TV comedy depicts world of the Arab Israeli". International Herald Tribune. Retrieved 29 September 2012.
- Anat Rosenberg (29 January 2008). "'Avoda Aravit' - breaking TV barriers". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 29 September 2012.
See also
References
- ↑ "Arab Labor Third Season". Go2Films.com. Retrieved 29 September 2012.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Isabel Kershner (7 January 2008). "Straddling Cultures, Irreverently, in Life and Art". The New York Times. Retrieved 29 September 2012.
- ↑ Playing Sayed Kashua: Actor Norman Issa feels like the third brother of Arabs and Jews
- ↑ Ray Hanania (18 June 2009). "Arab Labor: Using humor in Israeli sitcom to change perceptions of Arab citizens". Arab Writers Group Syndicate. Archived from the original on 5 November 2009. Retrieved 29 September 2012.