Swallows Never Die in Jerusalem

Both sides of the IsraeliPalestinian conflict are sensitively explored in the TunisianFrench drama Richard a French TV journalist has been assigned to do a political story in Jerusalem the night before Yitzhak Rabin and Yasir Arafat sign their peace accord Richard is glad to go as it gives him a chance to see his girlfriend Esther a psychologist Esthers father Moshe is continually tormented by his Holocaust memories Hammoudi nicknamed Local Radio is Richards taxi driver and guide He tells Richard the story of his family which was uprooted in 1948 resulting in the disappearance of his grandmother Mysteriously her picture appeared in a recent Arabic newspaper Richard intrigued decides to center his investigations upon Local Radios story As he delves deeper into their lives he discovers that the ancient rivalries between the Israelis and Palestinians is far too deep and complex to be easily explained away