Trust and whom to trust is a difficult issue for many people. It means that you can always count on or rely on whomever you trust, and it is the basis of every healthy relationship. However, when placed in the context of a larger society, it can very well be the key to life or death for many people when put into question. For the 2013 Palestinian film Omar directed by Hany Abu-Assad, trust and its antithesis—betrayal— takes the center stage as it explores the complicated life of a young man in the Occupied West Bank. It makes plenty of sense why trust is at the heart of the film as Palestinians have been betrayed in every way manner possible by their politicians, the international community, its neighboring nations, and unfortunately, from members of their community. The Israeli-West Bank barrier known for its dark and looming structure which runs through occupied Palestinian territories is depicted in the earlier scenes of the film as the epitome of distrust. It further fragments a society along sectarian lines. The protagonist Omar played by Adam Bakri is seen jumping over this Israeli-West Bank barrier repeatedly from his neighborhood to that of where his bakery is located and to visit his girlfriend Nadia. Freedom of movement is an issue addressed in the film as it is not only about security but affects every aspect of the lives of Palestinians. As reported by the United Kingdom’s Home Office Fact-finding Team, the issue of freedom of movement affects who is able to marry who and where is able to work which is why “it touches the very heart of the Palestinian culture and collective identity” (EU FFT, 102). These scenes are then followed by his illegal past-time whereby he and his friends Amjad and Tarek engage in carrying out attacks against Israeli soldiers, the root cause of all the disasters that follow. Following this, Omar is captured and brutally beaten in a humiliating manner during an encounter by Israeli soldiers at a checkpoint.
Incensed by this experience, Omar alongside Amjad is determined to deliver retribution against those who seek to make their lives and others increasingly difficult just by existing and actually contribute to the Palestinian Resistance Movement. Thus, the two carry out a night attack against Israeli soldiers at a checkpoint and Amjad shoots a soldier leaving him dead. After running for their lives, Omar is captured by the Israeli authorities after someone tips them off. To make matters even more complex, Omar is involved in a relationship with Nadia—Tarek’s younger sister— and must deal with the Arab taboos associated with fraternizing with a friend’s sister. Cornwall Professor Christine Leuenberger highlights the detrimental social impacts of the Israeli-West Bank barrier and notes “the barrier drives Palestinian immigrants into urban centers, where overcrowding, violence, and criminal activity are creating a new generation of deracinated young people with few economic prospects” (Cornell Chronicle). It leads young people like Omar and Amjad —frustrated by their respective situations —into dangerous activities on behalf of justice. Furthermore, it crushes the dreams and aspirations of the Palestinian youth like Omar who at the start of the film is preoccupied with youthful problems such as where to go for his honeymoon, to grow up rather quickly, and figure out their immediate routes to survival. Abu-Assad captures exactly this, young characters in limbo as they navigate the detrimental consequences of living in an occupied society.
The issues at the center of the film which concerns his relationship and how Tarek will respond to the potential relationship dramatically shifts to a matter of his freedom from the web of Israeli control. He is restlessly tortured while naked in an Israeli detention cell whereby he later gets duped into confessing his role in the attack by stating “I’ll never confess” which is a legitimate confession under Israeli law. The Israeli Agent Rami offers him two options at his arrest, cooperate with them to be a double agent and find Tarek or face a ninety-year sentencing; Omar cooperates. However, his release does not end with happiness as others like Nadia grow suspicious of him since released prisoners mean one thing: betrayal. The rest of the film surrounds life after prison and adapting to a community that has potentially turned on him. As a viewer, it is difficult for one not to sympathize with Omar forced into a tight corner which is reminiscent of the daily experience of all Palestinians in the crowded Occupied West Bank, often compelled to make tight and difficult decisions for survival.