TRUMPET IN THE WADI, A

English Title: TRUMPET IN THE WADI, A

Even in Israel there's Something About Mary. This beguiling young woman of Arabic Christian heritage entices a string of suitors in the neighborhood (including her landlord's son), but she seems uninterested in commitment to any man in particular, much to the chagrin of her debt-ridden household, consisting of three generations crammed into a small apartment. Meanwhile, Mary's more pragmatic older sister Huda, works at a travel agency, but she's over 30 and considered a lost cause as far as marriage material. At least, that is, until a trumpet-playing student named Alex moves in upstairs. He's a short, stocky, spunky, Russian-Jewish immigrant with no prejudices or preconceptions who came to Israel against his will, mainly to placate the demands of his strident Zionist-dissident mother. Alex can barely speak fluent Hebrew, and he pines for the lover he left behind in the Old Country, as he blows his horn solos on the roof. After helping protect the family from the results of Mary's indiscretions, Alex begins a touching relationship with Huda and her relatives. Will their connection surmount the seemingly-unbridgeable divisions between Arab and Jew? Winner of the top prize at the Haifa International Film Festival and “Best Drama” at the 2001 Israeli Academy Awards, this bluesy romantic drama will gently challenge your own assumptions. (In Arabic and Hebrew with English subtitles)