It is no surprise that the true story of Mohammed Assaf has made it to the big screen. The Idol, which debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival on Friday, is an inspiring tale of human achievement set amid the misery of daily existence for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Directed by Hany Abu-Assad, the film is told in two parts, covering Assaf's childhood in Gaza, where his love of music began, and then of his determination to get to Cairo to audition for Arab Idol, the TV talent competition he would ultimately win.
The film has been generally well reviewed, with Variety noting that it "deserves an audience well beyond its natural Arab fan base". We certainly hope that is the case. The world needs to hear more stories from this region, and especially from Palestine.
The Idol's premiere coincided with a vote in the United Nations to allow the Palestinian flag to fly in front of UN buildings around the world. This, too, provides hope and recognition for people whose rights and dreams have been trampled for far too long.
