Ameer Got His Gun
Naomi Levari & Saar Yogev, Israel, 2011
Ameer Abu Ria is about to go to the army. As opposed to the majority of 18-year-old boys in Israel, for whom army service is mandatory, Ameer is exempt from military service under the assumption that his enlistment might endanger Israel's security. That is because Ameer, an Israeli citizen, is a Moslem Arab. And yet, Ameer decided to volunteer. He believes that his induction is the way to equality, he believes this is the way to belong to the state he lives in, the state he wants to love.
He is considered an enemy, a fifth columnist in the eyes of Israeli Jews, and a traitor of the worst kind in the eyes of Arab citizens; the kind who turns against his brothers. All alone, Ameer is setting out on a voyage to civic and self-definition, while carefully navigating the thin line between Jewish and Arab societies. Ameer, an eternal optimist, wishes to be both a proud Arab and an enthusiastic Israeli while his only enemy is reality.
Produced by:
Saar Yogev
Festivals and Awards:
Nominated for Best Documentary, Israeli Academy Awards, 2012
Grand Prize, Festival International de Programmes Audiovisuels (FIPA), France, 2012
Boston Jewish Film Festival, 2012
San Francisco Jewish Film Festival, 2012
Special Mention at the Jerusalem International Film Festival, 2011
Best International Documentary, Chagrin Film Festival, USA, 2011
London International Documentary Film Festival, 2011
Support:
Production Grant from Makor Foundation (Israel)
Production Grant from the Gesher Foundation (Israel)
Israeli Broadcaster: Reshet