Writer-director Danny Verete's spare, gritty Israeli film reveals a world largely unknown to outsiders--the contemporary Bedouin tribal society of the rugged Judaean desert. Structured as a triptych of tales, all focused on the brutal treatment of women, the opener “Black Spot” involves the reaction of village elders when a young boy is run down by a speeding truck and the youth's mother is left simply to wail in grief. The next, “Here Is Not There,” deals with a German woman's hopeless effort to escape from her Bedouin husband. And the last, “Red Roofs,” recounts the tragic outcome of an affair between a well-to-do, married Israeli settler and his Bedouin housekeeper--an affair that also precipitates an identity crisis in another employee from the same tribe. The movie's overarching theme--the chasm between the traditional Bedouin worldview and the dominant Israeli society--is powerfully expressed, while its emphasis on the subservient role of women is explored with a poignancy that recalls some of the best Iranian treatments of the subject. Although it offers no simple solutions to the issues raised, Yellow Asphalt invites us to reflect and reach our own conclusions. Harsh, provocative, and compelling, this is strongly recommended. (F. Swietek)
Yellow Asphalt
New Yorker, 87 min., in Hebrew w/English subtitles, not rated, VHS: $24.99, DVD: $29.99, June 21 Volume 20, Issue 4
Yellow Asphalt
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