I’m very grateful to a good friend who suggested I watch Fauda, an Israeli TV show currently streaming on Netflix. I implore you to make this program your next binge.
Every now and then, a show hits you, gets under your skin, and really rips you apart. But not very often, right? The last time it happened with me was probably with Six Feet Under or Breaking Bad, but I can’t honestly remember anything hitting me as hard as Fauda.
I think it’s because I have very strong ties to the State of Israel. I’ve lived there and I’m a fervent Zionist. However, I know there are disparities between Israelis and Palestinians that I could never understand. Mainly because I don’t live there.
Israel is always in my heart, and I hate that it’s a nation at war after so many years. I have family there, very close family, and I pray, for them and the rest of the country daily, that things remain quiet and relatively peaceful.
Fauda shows the complex reality of living in Israel in a way that I’ve never seen before. It’s important to know going in that it’s in Hebrew and Arabic, so pay full attention. Written by Israeli veteran journalist Avi Issacharoff and the series’ lead actor, Lior Raz, the show centers around a team of Israeli commando soldiers who speak Arabic and operate undercover inside Palestinian territory. They are a tight group of agents who work flawlessly with each other and are much like brothers and sisters (there’s one female commando and she’s awesome). Their commend of both languages is so exquisite that they can basically act as a native of either side in any situation. Apparently, Arabic lessons are on the ride in Israel as a result of this show. It’s that popular and deservedly so. But the show is giving Israelis a micro-mirror and is providing ways for them to deal with their difficult reality.
It’s incredible that the creators had never written for TV before. The show is just that strong. And while Fauda is clearly on the side of Israelis, the show quietly clouds the line of the Israeli-Palestinian crisis and exposes certain realities that Americans in particular can never understand. The show won’t necessarily change your mind or side, but it definitely shows the challenges of getting out of a situation such as this one. It really takes us inside a reality that is everyday life in Israel/the Palestinian territories, only it is a reality that only the writers know from their own personal experience and gift to us as viewers.
I’m going to keep details bare so that you have the full experience of the show when you watch it. I knew nothing going in and I’m glad about that. But I can tell you thtat the show will leave you reeling, that I can promise you. Late last year Netflix bought the rights to Fauda’s second season, which is still in production and will be available next year.
Think about it – Homeland, In Treatment – did you watch them, both based on Israeli TV shows? Combine the power of these shows and think BIGGER and more powerful, and you have Fauda. It’s explosive, it’s gripping, it’s your next binge.
Disclosure: I am a member of Netflix’s #StreamTeam and am required to post monthly, however I choose my own topics. All opinions are my own.
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