DÉGRADÉ (2015) - ♦♦

Directed by - Arab Nasser, Tarzan Nasser

Written by - Arab Nasser, Tarzan Nasser

Starring - Hiam Abbass, Maisa Abd Elhadi, Manal Awad

"ARAB and TARZAN NASSER use a theatrical approach to examine the tension on the Gaza strip from a different and more human perspective. The story takes place in the course of a dog day afternoon, unbearably hot, and within the confined spacing of a small and overcrowded beauty salon. Its female customers and staff find themselves locked in after gunfire starts across their street. Unable to know exactly what is going on outside or when they will be able to return home, they are forced to stay together and live this moment of tension together, panicking and clashing with one another. 

Despite the good use of the claustrophobic setting, which heightens a thriller like tension, the representation of its characters is far from perfect, and prevents the Degrade from feeling genuine and realistic. DEGRADE presents a good variety of women of different age ranges and from different classes, each with their own well defined individual personalities. But they all fit far too easily within archetypes that have been shown time and time again. 

Furthermore, it's hard to fully empathise with their whining and overall selfishness, that prevents a connection between audience and film. On paper, Degrade looks like an  interesting and unique take on the unpredictablity of the violence on the Gaza strip. 

However, it is clearly unable to handle the themes it flirts with, and fails to respectfully represent a human drama in the process as well."

Drama, Palestine/France/Qatar