The Idol

Palestine | 2015 | 1h40 | Fiction For many people, the word Gaza is a synonym for conflict, destruction and despair. For Mohammed Assaf and his sister Nour, Gaza is their home and their playground. There, they play music, practice football, and dare to dream. Even though their group only has broken, second-hand instruments, they still have a high level of ambition. Mohammed and Nour are determined to play at the famous Cairo Opera. It might take them a lifetime to get there, but, as Mohammed will discover, some dreams deserve to be followed. Mohammed will encounter loss and tragedy along the way. The world around him will fall apart. And in spite of all this, he will always hold onto the hope that, in a way, his voice will free him from the surrounding sadness and bring joy to others. Then, one night, an unattainable dream appears before his very eyes on TV: the auditions for Arab Idol in Cairo. A film by Hany Abu-Assad