Double Selfie
or, the simple solution to all our problems in the Middle East
Double Selfie is a ‘satire with a heart,’ a buddy film meets “Borat,” set in unforgettable locations in and around Jerusalem. Much of the production (in English, Hebrew, and Arabic) will be high energy improvisation - actors thinking and risking on their feet, in locations both public and private.
The story takes place during the 2015 - 2017 “Stabbing Intifada,” which has raised the heat in Israel/Palestine, and especially in Jerusalem.
Maryam Abdulazziz and Sara Goldstein are thoroughly modern residents of Jerusalem. Both have just turned 30 - Maryam, a Muslim, and Sara, a Jew - and both are now rediscovering their religious roots - but with their own feminine emphasis. Both recently decided to wear head coverings - stylish print hijab on Maryam, and “mitpachat” head scarf on Sara. When not on Facebook or going to Jerusalem music clubs, in our opening scene they are at their mutual Ground Zero: Sara praying at the Kotel, Maryam up above at Al Aqsa.
That evening, Maryam is on the phone with her dad, who’s on fire: “Curse those damn Israelis! We’ve been living here for 40 years - and now they tell us our home will be demolished because we didn’t file the right permit 30 years ago - unless we pay a 100,000 shekel fine! [About $25,000].” Maryam comforts him, “We’ll solve it...somehow.”
Later, Maryam pulls out her laptop and her eye is caught by a Facebook ad – a photo of the Dome and the Western Wall, and below, “ARE YOU ONE OF THE TRULY COURAGEOUS ONES?” She clicks and is taken to a webpage that asks: Can one Jew and one Muslim create peace in the Middle East? She reads on….
Maryam grabs her phone, and jumping out of her skin, tells her friend, “How in God’s name am I going to meet a Jew who wants to do this contest with me?! A Palestinian and a Jew have to take a selfie together in 10 different places they announce on the website. This is evil! One challenge is announced each week - the pair who gets successfully to the end with the most Instagram ‘likes’ wins FIFTY. THOUSAND. DOLLARS.”
The next day, a dusty Old City hummus joint. Maryam awkwardly starts a conversation with a Jewish girl at the neighboring table, who with her head wrap, looks like a damn settler: Sara. In the next few days, Maryam is under pressure from the deadline of the impending first Challenge: the two women become Facebook friends, a couple days later they meet, and decide to jump in together to the Contest.
First Challenge: Double Selfie, on top of the Temple Mount.
This problematic place - where a giant riot started the Second Intifada, where loud right wing Jews are now pushing to be able to pray again (and where they believe the Third Temple will be built, ushering in the coming of the Messiah). And where Muslims believe these same radical Jews now conspire to blow up the Golden Dome - probably the most contested piece of holy real estate in the world. Our two women walk up to the Mount separately (the Israeli army requires non-Jews to enter through one gate, Muslim worshipers through another one). The two women meet next to the Dome - a peaceful morning, doves flapping overhead and a few tourists looking around.
And they pose, a Moslem and a Jew - “click” - for a quiet selfie, the morning sun glinting off the gold roof behind them. They upload it to the contest website via iPhone, just in time - success.
Our story careens ahead, the next Challenge concerns those male religious authority figures: Bring a big happy dog to the office of a sheikh, interview him about the negative view of dogs in Islam, and for bonus points, include the sheikh - with the dog in his lap - in the Selfie. Dogs are viewed traditionally as "unclean" - and if one licks you, a ritual bath is needed. Oy!
The challenges done in public might be the hardest: (and how many of the contestant pairs are same sex?): Lip lock in public, surrounded by 100 Orthodox Jewish men in black. “Oh my God.” “Don’t worry - if Borat could do it, so can we.” And they go to (the real) Mea Shearim, the Orthodox neighborhood, and risk life and limb - for a simple kiss.
But meanwhile, in the background of all these double selfie adventures, the “Stabbing Intifada” continues - teen boys knife other teen boys, and soldiers shoot to kill. The stabbers are heroes to many Palestinians, and simple terrorists to many Israelis.
One morning Sara checks in on Maryam’s FB wall, where there’s usually a lot of fun stuff. But this morning she sees a weird image:
Our story careens ahead, the next Challenge concerns those male religious authority figures: Bring a big happy dog to the office of a sheikh, interview him about the negative view of dogs in Islam, and for bonus points, include the sheikh - with the dog in his lap - in the Selfie. Dogs are viewed traditionally as "unclean" - and if one licks you, a ritual bath is needed. Oy!
The challenges done in public might be the hardest: (and how many of the contestant pairs are same sex?): Lip lock in public, surrounded by 100 Orthodox Jewish men in black. “Oh my God.” “Don’t worry - if Borat could do it, so can we.” And they go to (the real) Mea Shearim, the Orthodox neighborhood, and risk life and limb - for a simple kiss.
But meanwhile, in the background of all these double selfie adventures, the “Stabbing Intifada” continues - teen boys knife other teen boys, and soldiers shoot to kill. The stabbers are heroes to many Palestinians, and simple terrorists to many Israelis.
One morning Sara checks in on Maryam’s FB wall, where there’s usually a lot of fun stuff. But this morning she sees a weird image:
WTF? She knows immediately it’s about something that happened two days ago: a Palestinian man shot and killed a female soldier outside the Old City’s Damascus Gate. And on the right side of the photo, a wedding dress, with the Golden Dome far in the background?!
Sara keeps it to herself. The next day, the women meet in the Old City cafe for their weekly planning meeting - but it ends in a blowout, when Sara can’t hold in what she saw on Maryam’s wall: “That 19-yr-old soldier is a ZioNazi, right? And then the terrorist gets his bride in heaven!? Well - I’m not your Zioslut!”
Next morning. Sara at her laptop, posts on her FB wall, and tags Maryam - a photo of a notorious IDF t-shirt - gun crosshairs focused on the stomach of a pregnant Palestinian woman, with the words below, "One shot, two kills." Above the photo, Sara's comment: “Is this really any worse than killing innocent Israelis?”
Sara keeps it to herself. The next day, the women meet in the Old City cafe for their weekly planning meeting - but it ends in a blowout, when Sara can’t hold in what she saw on Maryam’s wall: “That 19-yr-old soldier is a ZioNazi, right? And then the terrorist gets his bride in heaven!? Well - I’m not your Zioslut!”
Next morning. Sara at her laptop, posts on her FB wall, and tags Maryam - a photo of a notorious IDF t-shirt - gun crosshairs focused on the stomach of a pregnant Palestinian woman, with the words below, "One shot, two kills." Above the photo, Sara's comment: “Is this really any worse than killing innocent Israelis?”
That evening, Sara clicks on the red “1” next to her FB message icon. It’s from Maryam, short and sweet: “Disgusting - I see that revenge is main part of Jewish religion.”
Sara sees the green dot next to Maryam’s name, she’s online right now. Sara types: “An eye for an eye, sister.” Maryam: “And we all go blind, right?” Sara: “You’re stupid - you started it.”
A few more angry messages typed back and forth. Finally, Maryam posts this image, adding: “Men - they’re all freaking gay.”
Sara sees the green dot next to Maryam’s name, she’s online right now. Sara types: “An eye for an eye, sister.” Maryam: “And we all go blind, right?” Sara: “You’re stupid - you started it.”
A few more angry messages typed back and forth. Finally, Maryam posts this image, adding: “Men - they’re all freaking gay.”
Sara messages back, agreeing: "Yep, or terrified of being gay."
The next day they meet in Sara’s apartment, in West Jerusalem (the Jewish side of Jerusalem). Friends again, they playfully decide to trade their stylish head coverings: they slowly unwrap their coverings, revealing for the first time (to us and to each other) their hair. Big grins. Two beautiful women. Then they cover their hair again, wearing each other’s cloth wraps.
They passed the Challenge on the Temple Mount, so now the one right below, at the Western Wall, should be easy: You're experts at getting past checkpoints by now, so it's time to enter the heart of Jewish prayer: both of you have to pray at the Western Wall.
Time for a bit of a disguise at the Kotel (the Hebrew name for the ancient Wall): both women wear Jewish hair coverings, easy enough. But Sarah proposes they go for a special selfie: in the last few years, women activists have often been arrested at the Western Wall for wearing prayer shawls (the Jewish tallit) and holding a Torah (both of these considered by Orthodox Jews to be strictly for males). So of course Sara makes sure they each wear a tallit, and she smuggles in a tiny torah scroll, which she unrolls for the double selfie, quickly! - click! - two women daring to stand up for their feminine spiritual power.
And then of course there's the Tel Aviv Challenge: Your job - you two peace seekers - is to find the most rad double selfie in the City of Sun and Sin - Tel Aviv. The beach is the obvious classic choice, but what other pairs would pose there wearing matching super-stylish, made-in-France, psychedelic burkinis?
Success after success. A couple days after they return from Tel Aviv, they get an email: Congrats - you have reached the Semifinals! Five pairs of contestants will be given two round-trip tickets to New York City. That’s right - you will have exactly twenty four hours to take the most daring, unforgettable Double Selfie you can think of - anywhere in the Big Apple.
Sitting eating hummus, the women scratch their heads on this one. Wow. Sara grew up in New York, Maryam has never been to the United States. While on that long 12-hour flight, they brainstorm: In front of Lady Liberty? Something wild in Times Square? Empire State Building? They arrive in Manhattan and exploring the busy streets, they realize: No, not at all. The time is right for a double selfie in front of that evil Tower of Trump: the two women in a big hug - wearing special head gear. They prod the (real) policeman there, “I’m Muslim and she’s Jewish, we’re getting married and want to deliver Donald an invitation to our wedding - just joking!” And they may just (really) get arrested during this selfie.
The next day they meet in Sara’s apartment, in West Jerusalem (the Jewish side of Jerusalem). Friends again, they playfully decide to trade their stylish head coverings: they slowly unwrap their coverings, revealing for the first time (to us and to each other) their hair. Big grins. Two beautiful women. Then they cover their hair again, wearing each other’s cloth wraps.
They passed the Challenge on the Temple Mount, so now the one right below, at the Western Wall, should be easy: You're experts at getting past checkpoints by now, so it's time to enter the heart of Jewish prayer: both of you have to pray at the Western Wall.
Time for a bit of a disguise at the Kotel (the Hebrew name for the ancient Wall): both women wear Jewish hair coverings, easy enough. But Sarah proposes they go for a special selfie: in the last few years, women activists have often been arrested at the Western Wall for wearing prayer shawls (the Jewish tallit) and holding a Torah (both of these considered by Orthodox Jews to be strictly for males). So of course Sara makes sure they each wear a tallit, and she smuggles in a tiny torah scroll, which she unrolls for the double selfie, quickly! - click! - two women daring to stand up for their feminine spiritual power.
And then of course there's the Tel Aviv Challenge: Your job - you two peace seekers - is to find the most rad double selfie in the City of Sun and Sin - Tel Aviv. The beach is the obvious classic choice, but what other pairs would pose there wearing matching super-stylish, made-in-France, psychedelic burkinis?
Success after success. A couple days after they return from Tel Aviv, they get an email: Congrats - you have reached the Semifinals! Five pairs of contestants will be given two round-trip tickets to New York City. That’s right - you will have exactly twenty four hours to take the most daring, unforgettable Double Selfie you can think of - anywhere in the Big Apple.
Sitting eating hummus, the women scratch their heads on this one. Wow. Sara grew up in New York, Maryam has never been to the United States. While on that long 12-hour flight, they brainstorm: In front of Lady Liberty? Something wild in Times Square? Empire State Building? They arrive in Manhattan and exploring the busy streets, they realize: No, not at all. The time is right for a double selfie in front of that evil Tower of Trump: the two women in a big hug - wearing special head gear. They prod the (real) policeman there, “I’m Muslim and she’s Jewish, we’re getting married and want to deliver Donald an invitation to our wedding - just joking!” And they may just (really) get arrested during this selfie.
Next day, back to the Holy Land, to the Holy City. Will their making up after all those knock-down fights pay off? Will their bonds as women overcome their conflicts over the big mess in "Israstine"? Will they be able to delay Maryam’s family’s demolition order long enough to rise to the indescribable Final Challenge? - where they have to return to the Temple Mount/Al Aqsa, and take a final selfie....while they do what in that holy place?! (among other details, they involve another woman - a tiny golden Lady Liberty, Maryam and Sara brought back from New York City).
After all the twists and turns - will our heroes get enough Instagram votes to win the $50,000 grand prize? Or will all their progress be wasted - an impossible friendship in an impossible Land - and everything go down the drain?
Double Selfie brings together a combustible, outrageous mix of feminism and women's spirituality, Middle Eastern politics and religion - Arab vs. Jew, Palestinian vs. Israeli, women vs. men, reality vs. fiction.
******************************
Treatment © 2017, Harvey Stein
Contributions of any amount can be made here:
http://tinyurl.com/doubleselfie77
And contributions (tax-deductible in the United States) of $50 or more, can be made here:
http://tinyurl.com/d8hq9kd
(For contributions of $18 or more, we will send you a digital download of Harvey's recent feature documentary, "A Third Way - Settlers and Palestinians as Neighbors.")
Double Selfie is a multicultural production of Jerusalem New York Productions, committed to a local cast and crew of Israelis and Palestinians working and creating together. As part of our vision, during production, we will assemble a crew of 4-8 teens from both groups, to be mentored in a “digital media school” that will be a part of the project from start to finish, learning skills of writing, production, and video editing.
Our project will also have a global component: we will solicit “double selfie” submissions from pairs of people around the world, “You and your Other” - in similar challenges to the ones in our story. The submissions with the most votes will be included in our movie.
Lastly: we are actively looking for corporate sponsorship in the areas of women’s fashion and sportswear. Both main female characters are stylish and hip - starting with their head coverings, and will be wearing cutting edge unique print fabrics as head coverings.
Written by Harvey Stein, Lina Barakat, Vered Post, and Osama Abed
Director: Harvey Stein
Producers: Gidi Avivi, Harvey Stein, Melissa Athens
CONTACT: Harvey Stein
email: [email protected]
www.jerusalemny.com/doubleselfie33
phone: 972-50-212-8132
skype: harveystein33
After all the twists and turns - will our heroes get enough Instagram votes to win the $50,000 grand prize? Or will all their progress be wasted - an impossible friendship in an impossible Land - and everything go down the drain?
Double Selfie brings together a combustible, outrageous mix of feminism and women's spirituality, Middle Eastern politics and religion - Arab vs. Jew, Palestinian vs. Israeli, women vs. men, reality vs. fiction.
******************************
Treatment © 2017, Harvey Stein
Contributions of any amount can be made here:
http://tinyurl.com/doubleselfie77
And contributions (tax-deductible in the United States) of $50 or more, can be made here:
http://tinyurl.com/d8hq9kd
(For contributions of $18 or more, we will send you a digital download of Harvey's recent feature documentary, "A Third Way - Settlers and Palestinians as Neighbors.")
Double Selfie is a multicultural production of Jerusalem New York Productions, committed to a local cast and crew of Israelis and Palestinians working and creating together. As part of our vision, during production, we will assemble a crew of 4-8 teens from both groups, to be mentored in a “digital media school” that will be a part of the project from start to finish, learning skills of writing, production, and video editing.
Our project will also have a global component: we will solicit “double selfie” submissions from pairs of people around the world, “You and your Other” - in similar challenges to the ones in our story. The submissions with the most votes will be included in our movie.
Lastly: we are actively looking for corporate sponsorship in the areas of women’s fashion and sportswear. Both main female characters are stylish and hip - starting with their head coverings, and will be wearing cutting edge unique print fabrics as head coverings.
Written by Harvey Stein, Lina Barakat, Vered Post, and Osama Abed
Director: Harvey Stein
Producers: Gidi Avivi, Harvey Stein, Melissa Athens
CONTACT: Harvey Stein
email: [email protected]
www.jerusalemny.com/doubleselfie33
phone: 972-50-212-8132
skype: harveystein33
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Harvey Stein is an Israeli-American filmmaker from New York City, now living in Jerusalem, or as he sometimes calls it, “JerusaQuds.” His last feature documentary, “A Third Way - Settlers and Palestinians as Neighbors”, about Rabbi Menachem Froman (the notorious “settler rabbi for peace”), Ali Abu Awwad, and others, is now being shown extensively both in the United States and Western Europe. His previous screenplays have won two awards, and he is looking forward to returning to the world of fictional stories.
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Charismatic actress/writer Sarah Tuttle-Singer will play the role of Sara. Recently back from a successful U.S. speaking tour, Sarah’s writings for Times of Israel, Kveller, and other venues, are read by thousands weekly.
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Gidi Avivi (producer) is an Israeli film producer, the founder of Vice Versa Films. For more than 20 years, Avivi has produced successful Israeli documentary and fiction films, and TV series, many of which have been co-productions with other countries. His last film was ”East Jerusalem, West Jerusalem”, which followed the making of Israeli pop star and peace activist David Broza's hit CD of the same name.
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