Filmed in Israel and based on actual events, the HBO/Keshet series, “Our Boys,” documents the conditions that led to the eruption of the 2014 war in Gaza, in which 2000 people lost their lives over the course of 50 days. Following the investigation of Muhammad Abu Khdeir’s brutal murder, the series explores the life-changing events from both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Featuring a cast and crew made up of both Jews and Arabs, the series presents an encouraging example of coexistence through the arts.
Based on true events
Writers Joseph Cedar, Hagai Levi and Tawfik Abu-Wael tell the story of three Jewish teenagers who were kidnapped on their way home from school. As news of their disappearance spread, the nation of Israel was united in mass prayer and hope of the boys’ safe return. But when it was confirmed that Hamas militants had murdered the three boys, solidarity transformed into outrage. Subsequently, a Palestinian boy disappeared in what appeared to be retaliation for the murders. “Our Boys” centers around the ensuing inquiry.
Viewers are hooked from the get-go with rage-inducing crime, and then quickly swept up by a lurid investigation. With heart-breaking precision, the creators of “Our Boys” depict the sinister tension that arises between grieving communities, treating their subject matter both with brutal intensity and the utmost sensitivity.
Co-existence and creativity
Drawing on the darkest of human instinct, “Our Boys” illustrates the human capacity for evil, regardless of background or heritage, and how quickly emotion can break down along tribal lines. Yet, the production also demonstrates how Jews and Arabs can co-exist and see each other as fellow human beings in the making of the series.
Filmmaking and kinship to transcend conflict
Creative Community For Peace (CCFP) is a staunch guardian of artistic freedom, a promoter of the arts as a means to peace, and a fighter of the cultural boycott of Israel.
We supported Netflix when boycott campaigners pressured the company to drop the Israeli series Fauda and we rallied the entertainment industry behind Eurovision when it was the target of large boycott campaigns. Reading the cast and crew list below, that is made up of both Jews and Arabs, fills us with hope for the future and faith in the power of creativity to transcend conflict.
SERIES DIRECTED BY
-Joseph Cedar (Jewish)
-Tawfik Abu Wael (Arab/Palestinian)
SERIES WRITTEN BY
-Joseph Cedar (Jewish)
-Tawfik Abu Wael (Arab/Palestinian)
-Hagai Levi (Jewish)
STARRING
-Shlomi Elkabetz – Simon (Jewish)
-Johnny Arbid – Hussein Abu Khdeir (Arab/Palestinian)
-Adam Gabay – Avishay Elbaz (Jewish)
-Ruba Blal – Suha Abu Khdeir (Arab/Palestinian)
-Yaacov Cohen – Rabbi Shalom Ben-David (Jewish)
– Shadi Mar’I – Eyad (Arab/Palestinian)