THE STORY – Activist-comedian Noam Shuster Eliassi grew up the literal poster child for the Israeli-Palestinian peace process before making a hard pivot to stand-up comedy and political satire. But as the region sinks deeper into devastating violence, she must meet the moment by challenging her audiences with hard truths that are no laughing matter.
THE CAST – Noam Shuster Eliassi
THE TEAM – Amber Fares (Director)
THE RUNNING TIME – 95 Minutes
“Coexistence, My Ass!” has quite the memorable title, one that easily grabs your attention. Actually, the title comes from the one-woman show by Israeli comedian and activist Noam Shuster Eliassi, in which she doesn’t shy away from her pro-Palestine beliefs and disapproval of the Israeli government (including Benjamin Netanyahu). The documentary premiered at the Sundance Film Festival way back in January, where it received the Special Jury Award for Freedom of Expression. Helmed by Amber Fares, who followed Shuster for the five years covered in the film, “Coexistence, My Ass!” presents a compelling portrait of a pro-Palestine Israeli activist and comedian, with a focus on both the political and the personal. There’s a sense of urgency, especially in the second half, which sheds light on a serious topical issue. However, it’s essentially two documentaries in one, which don’t meld together well, making it unfocused, and the editing requires a great deal of work. Additionally, this appears to be a vanity project for Eliassi, most notably in the first half, regardless of her good intentions.
Fares’ footage of Eliassi begins before the pandemic and continues throughout, especially as she eventually contracts COVID and fully recovers. It’s clear from the get-go that she has a unique sense of humor, which has enabled her to be successful as a comedian. However, that wasn’t always the plan. A child of a Jewish Israeli mother and a Jewish Romanian father, Eliassi’s upbringing was fairly liberal, leading her to get involved in Israel-Palestinian peace efforts at a young age. She even worked with the U.N. for a while, but found that to be an ineffective way of enacting real change. That’s what she decided to do with her gift of comedy, especially since few Israeli comedians were openly discussing politics in their sets. Actually, she was inspired to go all-in on comedy after seeing Volodymyr Zelensky transition from comedy to becoming the President of Ukraine. And so we follow the emboldened Eliassi from Harvard University to Tel Aviv and back, all the while showcasing her constant fight for equality and pursuit of coexistence.
Intercut throughout the film are scenes from her one-woman show, which is mainly in English but also features clips of her speaking in Arabic and Hebrew (the latter being her native tongue, and the former being one in which she was not required to remain fluent). That’s one of the documentaries featured in the film’s 95-minute runtime, and the other offers a more personal glimpse into her time performing stand-up for a variety of audiences, including dealing with naysayers, protesting the Israeli government and Netanyahu, and more. These sequences are a jumble of footage from Fares, as well as from newsreels and Eliassi’s personal cell phone. While most of these segments are at least somewhat impactful and/or emotionally resonant, the myriad of tones don’t always work well together. The film could have also benefited from better editing, and may have been even more effective as two separate short documentaries. The frequent cutting between her comedy act and her on-the-ground scenes is distracting, making each part less effective than it would’ve been otherwise.
It’s undeniably inspiring that Eliassi was an activist from a young age, as we get newsreel footage of her as a child. Her class was fortunate enough to receive visits from notable figures like Hilary Clinton and Jane Fonda. She also makes sure to point out that, after recovering from COVID, Jews and Arabs were living together by choice — something that many people like Eliassi are striving towards. However, these kinds of statements make “Coexistence, My Ass!” feel like a vanity project, especially when we see her practically brag that she’s one of the few Jewish Israelis who (still) speaks fluent Arabic. Also, when it’s said that she is 32 years old and unmarried, it’s almost like we’re meant to feel sympathetic towards her — a sentiment that’s antithetical to her primary goal of securing peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
And yet, at the end of the day, it’s hard not to admire Eliassi for using her platform for good. She often covers topics that are far from hilarious, and can make comedy urgent and serious by presenting jokes about things that might be considered taboo in certain settings. She runs through the gamut of emotions in “Coexistence, My Ass!” — disappointment, frustration, heartbreak, humor, and then some. It’s also a film that, despite its inherent flaws, might make you wonder if comedy may be the best way to achieve peace in Gaza. With world leaders seemingly doing little to improve the tragic situation, maybe that’s our best bet.
“Coexistence, My Ass!” provides us with a front-row seat to these struggles, and despite its unfocused nature, it’s impactful enough to leave a lasting impression. The film may make you feel like there’s no clear ending to the Israel-Palestine conflict, as we’ve recently seen with the still-ongoing attacks and bombings. And yet, regardless of Eliassi’s commendable efforts to enact real change, she’s a limited messenger in the pursuit of coexistence. The name of the documentary (and her one-woman show) also signals a somewhat pessimistic outlook on her part.
