West Bank Story

2005 American musical short film

West Bank Story

Directed by| Ari Sandel
Written by| Kim Ray
Ari Sandel
Produced by| Bill Boland
Ashley Jordan
Amy S. Kim
Ravi Malhotra
Ari Sandel
Pascal Vaguelsy
Starring| Ben Newmark
Noureen DeWulf
Joey Naber
A.J. Tannen
Cinematography| Gavin Kelly
Edited by| Avi Youabian
Music by| Yuval Ron

Release date

* January 20, 2005 (2005-01-20) (Sundance)

Running time

| 21 minutes
Country| United States
Language| English
Budget| $73,000-74,000

West Bank Story is a 2005 American musical comedy short film directed by Ari Sandel, co-written by Sandel and Kim Ray, produced by Pascal Vaguelsy, Amy Kim, Ashley Jordan, Ravi Malhotra, Bill Boland, and featuring choreography by Ramon Del Barrio. The film is a parody of the classic 1961 musical film West Side Story, which in turn is an adaptation of Romeo and Juliet. The film follows the rivalry between falafel restaurants, one Israeli and the other Palestinian, respectively named the "Kosher King" and the "Hummus Hut," and the romance between the latter's cashier and an Israeli soldier in the West Bank. The film stars Ben Newmark as the IDF soldier, Noureen DeWulf as the Palestinian cashier, A.J. Tannen as the Israeli restaurant owner, and Joey Naber as his Palestinian rival.

Filmed on a Santa Clarita, California ranch,[1] the short premiered at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival, and was screened at numerous additional film festivals across the world, garnering several awards. In 2007, at the 79th Academy Awards, it won the Oscar in the category Best Live Action Short Film.

## Plot

[edit]

The film begins with a scene in which the Palestinians and Jews are both snapping their fingers, similar to the opening scene of West Side Story. The two parties head to their own family-owned falafel stands (Hummus Hut and Kosher King) where they sing "Our People Must Be Fed/Our People Must Be Served". During the day, Hummus Hut employee Fatima and Israeli soldier David are daydreaming about each other (in the romantic duet, "When I See Him"). When Fatima rushes to give a customer his forgotten leftovers, she has a chance encounter with David, and they realize their mutual attraction.

Upon returning to the shop, Fatima's brother shows her that the Kosher King Jews have a machine that encroaches a few inches onto their property. The head of Hummus Hut throws a rock into the machine, making it malfunction, provoking a standoff between the two families (resolved by David and Fatima). Ariel, head of the Kosher King, decides he is going to build a wall. After they leave, David and Fatima stay, and David indicates he'll come to her balcony that night.

The construction begins, and the Palestinians plan to end it abruptly ("We're Gonna Build It"). As such happens, David goes to Fatima's house ("This Moment Is All We Have"), wanting to kiss her, but Fatima refuses, saying it will only escalate the conflict. They head over to stop the fight. As they do, it is revealed to Fatima's family that they are in love. The following fight tips over a canister of gasoline, causing the entire stand to catch fire. David goes to warn the Israelis, who celebrate - until an ember reaches the Kosher King, which proceeds to catch on fire. As the Hummus Hut denizens celebrate, Fatima points out to everyone that they are only making their lives worse.

The next morning, expectant falafel customers are oblivious to the fire, and still want food. Ahmed and Ariel have nothing, but David and Fatima scrape together some of the remaining food, merging the two falafel stands. After the others are working, David and Fatima kiss. At the very end, Fatima asks what will happen if their families cannot stop fighting. David says he will "take you to a place called... Beverly Hills", alluding to the song "Somewhere" in West Side Story.

## Awards

[edit]

* Academy Awards
* Live Action Short Film 2006
* Now Film Festival
* Finalist
* Indianapolis International Film Festival
* Audience Award - Best Short
* Malibu Film Festival
* Special Jury Award - Best Live Action Short Film
* Method Fest
* Special Mention
* Stony Brook Film Festival
* Festival Grand Prize

## See also

[edit]

* List of American films of 2005

## References

[edit]

1. ^ The Haaretz (Feb. 2007), Musical comedy on West Bank wins Oscar for best live action short film

## External links

[edit]

* Official website
* West Bank Story at IMDb
* 79th Annual Academy Awards
* Interview feature[permanent dead link] by CNN International's Inside the Middle East (video)

* v
* t
* e

Films directed by Ari Sandel

* West Bank Story (2005)
* Wild West Comedy Show: 30 Days and 30 Nights – Hollywood to the Heartland (2006)
* The DUFF (2015)
* When We First Met (2018)
* Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween (2018)

* v
* t
* e

Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film

Short subject
1931–1935|

| Comedy|

* The Music Box (1932)
* So This Is Harris (1933)
* La Cucaracha (1934)
* How to Sleep (1935)

|

Novelty|

* Wrestling Swordfish (1932)
* Krakatoa (1933)
* City of Wax (1934)
* Wings Over Everest (1935)

Short subject
1936–1956|

| Color|

* Give Me Liberty (1936)
* Penny Wisdom (1937)

|

One-reel|

* Bored of Education (1936)
* The Private Life of the Gannets (1937)
* That Mothers Might Live (1938)
* Busy Little Bears (1939)
* Quicker'n a Wink (1940)
* Of Pups and Puzzles (1941)
* Speaking of Animals and Their Families (1942)
* Amphibious Fighters (1943)
* Who's Who in Animal Land (1944)
* Stairway to Light (1945)
* Facing Your Danger (1946)
* Goodbye, Miss Turlock (1947)
* Symphony of a City (1948)
* Aquatic House Party (1949)
* Grandad of Races (1950)
* World of Kids (1951)
* Light in the Window (1952)
* Overture to The Merry Wives of Windsor (1953)
* This Mechanical Age (1954)
* Survival City (1955)
* Crashing the Water Barrier (1956)

Two-reel|

* The Public Pays (1936)
* Torture Money (1937)
* Declaration of Independence (1938)
* Sons of Liberty (1939)
* Teddy, the Rough Rider (1940)
* Main Street on the March! (1941)
* Beyond the Line of Duty (1942)
* Heavenly Music (1943)
* I Won't Play (1944)
* Star in the Night (1945)
* A Boy and His Dog (1946)
* Climbing the Matterhorn (1947)
* Seal Island (1948)
* Van Gogh (1949)
* In Beaver Valley (1950)
* Nature's Half Acre (1951)
* Water Birds (1952)
* Bear Country (1953)
* A Time Out of War (1954)
* The Face of Lincoln (1955)
* The Bespoke Overcoat (1956)

Short subject
(live action)
1957–1973|

* The Wetback Hound (1957)
* Grand Canyon (1958)
* The Golden Fish (1959)
* Day of the Painter (1960)
* Seawards the Great Ships (1961)
* Heureux Anniversaire (1962)
* An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge (1963)
* Casals Conducts: 1964 (1964)
* The Chicken (1965)
* Wild Wings (1966)
* A Place to Stand (1967)
* Robert Kennedy Remembered (1968)
* The Magic Machines (1969)
* The Resurrection of Broncho Billy (1970)
* Sentinels of Silence (1971)
* Norman Rockwell's World... An American Dream (1972)
* The Bolero (1973)

Short film
(live action)
1974–present|

* One-Eyed Men Are Kings (1974)
* Angel and Big Joe (1975)
* In the Region of Ice (1976)
* I'll Find a Way (1977)
* Teenage Father (1978)
* Board and Care (1979)
* The Dollar Bottom (1980)
* Violet (1981)
* A Shocking Accident (1982)
* Boys and Girls (1983)
* Up (1984)
* Molly's Pilgrim (1985)
* Precious Images (1986)
* Ray's Male Heterosexual Dance Hall (1987)
* The Appointments of Dennis Jennings (1988)
* Work Experience (1989)
* The Lunch Date (1990)
* Session Man (1991)
* Omnibus (1992)
* Schwarzfahrer (1993)
* Franz Kafka's It's a Wonderful Life / Trevor (1994)
* Lieberman in Love (1995)
* Dear Diary (1996)
* Visas and Virtue (1997)
* Election Night (1998)
* My Mother Dreams the Satan's Disciples in New York (1999)
* Quiero ser (I want to be...) (2000)
* The Accountant (2001)
* This Charming Man (2002)
* Two Soldiers (2003)
* Wasp (2004)
* Six Shooter (2005)
* West Bank Story (2006)
* Le Mozart des Pickpockets (2007)
* Toyland (2008)
* The New Tenants (2009)
* God of Love (2010)
* The Shore (2011)
* Curfew (2012)
* Helium (2013)
* The Phone Call (2014)
* Stutterer (2015)
* Sing (2016)
* The Silent Child (2017)
* Skin (2018)
* The Neighbors' Window (2019)
* Two Distant Strangers (2020)
* The Long Goodbye (2021)
* An Irish Goodbye (2022)
* The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023)
* I'm Not a Robot (2024)

* v
* t
* e

Arthur Laurents, Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim's West Side Story (1957)

Inspiration|

* William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

Adaptations|

* Symphonic Dances from West Side Story (1961)
* West Side Story (1961 film)
* West Side Story Suite (1995 ballet)
* West Side Story (2021 film)
* accolades

Variations|

* Swango (2002 musical)
* West Bank Story (2005 parody film)

Songs|

| Act 1|

* "Something's Coming"
* "Maria"
* "Tonight"
* "America"
* "Cool"
* "One Hand, One Heart"
* "Tonight (Quintet & Chorus)"

|

Act 2|

* "I Feel Pretty"
* "Somewhere"
* "Gee, Officer Krupke"
* "A Boy like That"

Albums|

* West Side Story (1957 original cast)
* West Side Story (1959 Previn)
* West Side Story (1961 soundtrack)
* West Side Story (1961 Tjader)
* Bernstein Plays Brubeck Plays Bernstein (1961 Brubeck Quartet)
* West Side Story (1962 Peterson Trio)
* Kenton's West Side Story (1962 Kenton)
* Toshiko–Mariano Quartet (in West Side) (1963 Akiyoshi)
* West Side Story (1974 Earl Hines)
* West Side Story (2021 soundtrack)

Related|

* "The First Time"
* "Upper West Side Story"
* Wild Side Story
* China Girl
* "Roses"
* Josh
* Superjail!
* "La Borinqueña" (used in 2021 film)

* v
* t
* e

Romeo and Juliet film adaptations

English|

* Beneath the 12-Mile Reef (1953)
* Romanoff and Juliet (1961)
* Gonks Go Beat (1965)
* Lonesome Cowboys (1968)
* Romeo and Juliet (1968)
* Romie-0 and Julie-8 (TV; 1979)
* The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet (1982)
* Valley Girl (1983)
* Bullies (1986)
* China Girl (1987)
* Romeo.Juliet (1990)
* Tromeo and Juliet (1996)
* Love Is All There Is (1996)
* Romeo + Juliet (1996)
* Rose by Any Other Name... (1997)
* The Lion King II: Simba's Pride (1998)
* Shakespeare in Love (1998)
* The Magical Legend of the Leprechauns (1999)
* Romeo Must Die (2000)
* Brooklyn Babylon (2001)
* Pizza My Heart (TV; 2005)
* Life and Lyrics (2006)
* Romeo & Juliet: Sealed with a Kiss (2006)
* Rome & Jewel (2006)
* David & Fatima (2008)
* The Cross Road (2008)
* Vicious Circle (2008)
* Gnomeo & Juliet (2011)
* Sherlock Gnomes (2018 sequel)
* Private Romeo (2011)
* Warm Bodies (2013)
* Make Your Move (2013)
* Romeo & Juliet (2013)
* Valley Girl (2020)
* R#J (2021)
* Die in a Gunfight (2021)
* Rosaline (2022)
* Juliet & Romeo (2025)

| West Side Story|

* West Side Story (1961)
* West Bank Story (2005)
* West Side Story (2021)

|

Hindi|

* Ek Duuje Ke Liye (1981)
* Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988)
* Saudagar (1991)
* Kuch Tum Kaho Kuch Hum Kahein (2002)
* Bollywood Queen (2002)
* Ishaqzaade (2012)
* Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela (2013)
* Issaq (2013)

Telugu|

* Maro Charitra (1978)
* Akkada Ammayi Ikkada Abbayi (1996)
* Kalisundam Raa (2000)
* Maro Charitra (2010)

Spanish|

* Romeo and Juliet (1940)
* Los Tarantos (1963)
* 30:e november (Swedish/Spanish, 1995)
* Amar te duele (2002)

Italian|

* Fury of Johnny Kid (1967)
* Ma che musica maestro (1971)

Portuguese|

* Mônica e Cebolinha: No Mundo de Romeu e Julieta (1979)
* O Casamento de Romeu e Julieta (2005)

Other|

* Ambikapathy (Tamil, 1937)
* The Lovers of Verona (French, 1949)
* Ambikapathy (Tamil, 1957)
* Romeo, Juliet and Darkness (Czech, 1960)
* Keyamat Theke Keyamat (Bengali, 1993)
* The Phantom Lover (Mandarin, 1995)
* Chicken Rice War (Cantonese/English, 2000)
* Ondagona Baa (Kannada, 2003)
* Mamay (Ukrainian, 2003)
* The District! (Hungarian, 2004)
* In Fair Palestine: A Story of Romeo and Juliet (2006)
* The Bubble (Hebrew/Arabic, 2006)
* Priyatama (Marathi, 2014)
* Arshinagar (Bengali, 2015)
* Eeda (Malayalam, 2017)
* The Sea Prince and the Fire Child (Japanese, 1981)

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template