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From Deadline|London editor Tim Adler: Tribeca Films has picked up the British comedy The Infidel for the U.S., where it will premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 25th followed by a simultaneous platform release/VOD launch. Revolver’s taking the film out on more than 40 UK screens on April 9th. Salt Company, the sales agent, has sold the £1 million laugher to 13 other territories including France and Australia and all over the Middle East. But Israel doesn’t want the pic. Because it’s about a Muslim taxi driver who’s appalled to discover he’s really a Jew. How’s that going to play in NYC?
The Infidel starring Brit comedian Omid Djalili was written by David Baddiel, one of the UK’s cleverest comedians and a Jew himself. Producer Arvind Ethan David tells me, “Our big worry was having a fatwa declared, but instead Muslims love the film.” Djalili, whom I think is a very funny guy, will tour the Middle East trying to persuade censorship authorities to allow the film to be screened as is because movies that poke fun at the Muslim religion, or even touch on Jewish themes, are heavily censored or banned. I found the trailer (above) laugh out loud funny. See what you think.
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actually looks funny…Omid looks like Zero Mostel so Im sure the New York Jews will like it
“Our big worry was having a fatwa declared”
Its nice to see that the PC crowd cares so much what Muslims think and dont want to offend that religion. As far as Christianity is concerned, WHO CARES! Right?
1. The movie concerns Muslims and Jews, why would he be commenting about Christians.
2. It was a joke, for Gods sake! Lighten up and get a life!
Who exactly doesn’t want this film? Israeli film festivals? The government? My understanding is that Israel doesn’t censor films that simply offend.
As for the Tribeca crowd, I imagine they’ll find it hillarious, as long as it’s thoughtful and in good taste. Why wouldn’t they?
Oh my gosh, I am so glad I didn’t decide to go to bed until 5am and that was the last thing I do until I sleep. Amazing! When I was in a loft near Pratt in Brooklyn I traded music with was a Hasdic Jew who dad owned the local camera shop or somehting. I was like, do you know about that rapper and he was like, yeah. Is he hard core, I said well EVE wanted to rap with him on stage, but he would not let her. Now anyone else would think that was lame, but this guy named Moses, was like
DAMN he is hard core, ok I will check him out then. And then his dad looked at me in their store and I was like, let’s just email, I know what you are going through. So he sent me some stuff from Isreal and I mixed him some Prince and Elliot Goldenthal. That’s a true story. I hope when I come back to NYC more people traded art with him. He was cool.
“How’s that going to play in NYC?”
If the movie does it right, quite decently if folks have a sense of humor.
I mean this I suppose is one of those Dog in Kitty Litter box (cousin to the Fish out of Water story) plots where someone in a particular lifestyle finds out they’re really a completely different person.
This comedy could have been retooled as one of those Evangelical Christians finding out that they’re gay. Same dynamics.
wow nice
if the film is popular in the West then it will surely be shown in Israel, because the people are quite accepting and tolerant. Let’s put it this way: we don’t have to worry about Israeli jews suicide bombing the theater.
I think the film looks like one of the funnier films coming out this year. It is original and touches on a heavy topic. I’m glad Tribeca has the guts to show it.
What’s sad about this is if the story was reversed, meaning, if the character was adopted by a Jewish family, but was ethnically Arab and born into a Muslim family, it probably wouldn’t get the pub/distribution it is receiving now.
In fact, though I am neither a Muslim or a Jew, I can’t think of the last time I saw a major American movie with a lead actor of Arab-American background.
Hollywood is too homogeneous among it’s power structure of agencies and studios. This lack of diversity is what hinders awesomely diverse stories from being greenlit and distributed.
[Wait..what's that I hear? Oh. It's the floodgates of "antisemitism" I'm about to hear]
They tried a show about muslims. No one watched it. Stop whining and blaming “Hollywood” [i.e. The Jews] and make your own show.
Really…what was it called, if it really happened, and even if it did…ONE show. Nice. How excellent.
If it did occur, no one watched it because no one knew about it. If you make a movie and no marketing dollars are attached, it wont do well.
Funny, state a fact and repo man says one is whining. hilarious.
“If it did occur, no one watched it because no one knew about it.”
Really. And what proof do you have that ‘no one knew about it’?
Ah…none, I see. Great ‘facts’ you’re stating there, Chomsky. Just keep whining about ‘diversity’ though (twice in one sentence!), we all know what that’s code for…
“…no one watched it because no one knew about it.”
Do you have any proof that no one knew? Didn’t think so. Excellent use of ‘facts’ there, Chomsky. Just keep whining about ‘diversity’ (twice in one sentence!), we all know what that is code for…
There is a reason no major outlet will EVER touch a project based around a Muslim lead and/or family. Comedy (and drama) about a Muslim lead requires making fun or criticizing Islam and Muslim customs.
Muslims kill people who do that.
So no one will ever do a version of say, Seinfeld only Muslim, because to be funny the project would have to mock Muslim sensibilities and many aspects of Islam. Since an obscure Danish cartoon featuring Mohammed with a bomb in his turban prompted a Somali Muslim to travel 12,000 miles to try and behead the elderly Danish cartoonist in Copenhagen, everyone got the message.
I don’t get this project. Muslims readily accept conversions, Islam is not based on race/ethnicity, merely the acceptance of the five pillars of Islam. The traitor Adam Gadahn, for example, AQ’s American propagandist, was raised as a Jew in Orange County. A Jewish background might be faintly embarrassing, but nothing to get excited about for almost all Muslims.
Seinfeld, or other Jewish based comedies, are written by Jews, so they are aloud to poke fun at th religion/group. When a non-jew mocks jews or the Jewish way it tends to be a little mean-spirited, even racist. So bringing up those rather poorly drawn danish cartoons (which were lacking in wit and humour, and were clearly intended to offend) to argue that ALL Muslims have no sense of humour is a little silly. Most people (Muslim, jew, Christian) will laugh at anything that is genuinly funnyJand reflective, but an attempt to just mock and demean a race/religion by someone who chooses not to do the same to their own demographic is pretty pathetic and blatantly racist.
This is an extremely clever idea and I agree with previous posters that if done well, will be very effective.
As writer who happens to be Muslim, I’ve always felt that comedy is the best way to approach ‘sensitive’ subjects. The world may not be ready to embrace the daily lives of Muslims (such as that TV show repo man is referring to) but combining humor from the daily lives of these two religions, which are traditionally thought to be adversaries, might be a great way to get a united message across, no matter how subtle.
Bravo to the writer! I hope the movie does well.
‘Monk’ is Lebanese! Everyone loves ‘Monk’.
My friend Jason Tobin played ‘Virgil’ in ‘Better Luck Tomorrow’. Wasn’t he great?
This movie looks hysterical. And I think unlike that Albert Brooks “Finding Comedy in the Muslim World,” which was pretty condescending, this is a film that could truly bring comedy to both religions. Besides…I will watch anything with Richard Schiff – one of the finest character actors ever – from West Wing. I can’t wait to see this movie!
Haven’t seen it, but am hoping that the film has a message of religious unity.
Omid Djalili, like Rainn Wilson, is a Baha’i.
Religious unity is impossible if you actually take your religion SERIOUSLY. Which Muslims do.
The Pope, for example, as Cardinal Ratzinger, gave a speech about ten years ago stating the theological reasons he opposed ecumenical outreach to Muslims but supported it to Jews and other Christian sects: the Muslim conception of God. The Pope outlined as he saw it the Muslim conception, that God was not bound by reason/rationality or love for humanity, and could if he wanted to turn humanity into idolaters or cannibals, that the Muslim God was arbitrary. Citing as evidence the series of letters between the last Byzantine Emperor and Sultan Mehmet II arguing the different conception of God.
This leaves out polytheism, such as Voodoo, or Satanism, religions with human sacrifice, Buddhism, and Hinduism.
Religious unity, is only possible when fundamentals are agreed upon, otherwise it is a farce like absolute monarchists allied with Communists allied with Constitutional liberals — all three believing in fundamentally different things.
Muslims view Bahai’s as heretics, who have deliberately insulted and rejected God, and whom God has therefore directed them to punish. Which is why Muslim Republics like Iran persecute them mightily. Muslims do not view religion as a “lifestyle choice” or this year’s fad like Kaballah Water.
This is why “diverse” places make bad movies generally — too much time spent fighting, often violently, over fundamental differences on the absolute basics. Causing movies (undoubtedly this one) to pull their punches to the point of an Afterschool Special or rote recitation of the dominant dogma.
In the interest of full disclosure, I am a Baha’i as well.
I appreciate your comments. Thoughtful, respectful, and you referenced an exchange of letters I wasn’t familiar with.
While Baha’is have faced and continue to face severe persecution in Iran, not all Muslims agree with the government there about the Baha’is. Muslim organizations work side-by-side with Baha’is in various ways. A couple of small examples – interfaith groups in various communities in the US and some other countries, and the World Parliament of Religions.
Certainly you are correct there is a huge range of views today on the subject of God, faith, religion…. Two points.
One. As a Baha’i, I see in the Bible, the Qur’an, the Gita, the Zend Avesta, the Buddhist Sacred Texts (though that’s a bit more difficult to sort out) a fundamental harmony. The Text that brings that fundamental harmony into focus is the Baha’i Sacred Text.
Two. It is not the Texts that disagree with each other on the spiritual fundamentals – which need to be clearly distinguished from social laws, such as dietary restrictions and specific punishments for crimes – it is the proponents of the various religions today who disagree with each other based on their (mis)interpretations of the Texts, of the intentions of the Founders of these religions.
It’s important for all sides to strive to abide by the universal Golden Rule, to consort with the followers of other religions in a spirit of friendliness, to respect freedom of worship, to (and I’ll lift here from Obama) disagree without being disagreeable. Our planet’s too small, and our technological ability to destroy too awesome, for us to do otherwise if we wish to survive.
“The Infidel” looks like it could be a good bit of fun. And hopefully promote a bit more understanding.
This looks amazing! Can’t wait until it comes over to the US!
I laughed at the trailer!!! Probably will laugh at the theaters!
Omid Djalili is very funny, talented and original. Too bad his show was recently cancelled by the Beeb.
I have seen this film and it’s hilarious, brave and moving. Plus it does show a Muslim central character in a comic and sympathetic way. It’s a really important movie, in it’s own way.
You do realise that the guy tht wrote this (English comedian David Baddeil) is Jewish right?
Yes, the article makes that clear. Is that a problem?