From Oppression to Fame
From Occupation to Fame
The movie “The Idol” tells the story of Muhammad Assaf and his path from oppression to fame. The movie portrays the occupation of Gaza very well by showing how difficult it is for a Palestinian to leave the city. In the beginning of the movie, it shows Muhammad Assaf as a child starting out his little band to make music. When they were kids they had no access to real instruments so they used trash and turned them into a form of an instrument. Showing how difficult it is to obtain a real instrument. They used the trash instruments until they had enough money to buy real ones from a black market. From the start we see a lot of humor incorporated into this film by the adults who mock them for their little band.
As Muhammad grew up the tensions in Gaza were increasing and not many people supported his dream of getting on Arab Idol. One of his friends left the group to join the Palestinian resistance and condemned their group because of religious reasons. Muhammad saw an opportunity to go to Cairo and participate in Arab idol and took it. Knowing he will not be able to return to his home as a consequence, his family still supported his dream. Showing how Gaza is just one giant prison held by the Israeli government. Once in Cairo he got his opportunity and stunned the world with his music.
This movie really brings out the Palestinian struggle and throws it in the viewers face. The struggle of obtaining basic healthcare is shown when his sister gets sick. The struggle of having electricity is shown when the power gets shut off by the Israelis in the middle of his performances. The film really shows the real side of what happens in Palestine that the western media would never dare show. Having this type of awareness can help people outside of Palestine to have some type of idea of what really happens. Overall, the lack of basic human rights is clearly highlighted through out the film. The film is clearly trying to get the viewers emotion for them to feel for the Palestinians.
Overall, I highly recommend this film to everyone. Muhammad Assaf gained instant fame once he won Arab idol is 2013 and since then people have been more aware of the Palestinian struggle. I encourage anyone that wants to learn how about Palestine and what really happens within the borders to watch this movie. The fame of Muhammad Assaf has brought more hope to the Palestinians, showing that no matter how much they oppress us they wont stop us from achieving what we want in life. This story should not only inspire Palestinians but to anyone facing injustice and oppression. When you really want to achieve in life you can go from oppressed to fame with the right mindset and grind.