The Cousin (Tzahi Grad) Israel. Official Section |

The Cousin
Tzahi Grad
Israel.2017. 92 min

Tzahi Grad stars as Naftali, a local media presence in an Israeli village, whose belief in more open dialogue between Jews and Arabs is the foundation of a reality TV project he’s pitching. Needing renovations done on a crumbling studio on the grounds of his family home, he arranges to hire a Palestinian Muslim recommended by his gardener. The worker who climbs aboard his car at the designated pickup point is not the man with whom Naftali spoke, but claims to be his equally skilled brother, Fahed (Ala Dakka). While he’s mildly suspicious about the switch, Naftali takes him back to begin the job anyway.

It’s often said in relation to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that Jews and Arabs are both descended from Abraham, giving them shared genetic roots. That belief supplies the title of The Cousin, Israeli actor-writer-director Tzahi Grad’s message-driven seriocomedy about good intentions that get severely tested when a crime is committed and fingers point automatically to a Palestinian laborer.

TZAHI GRAD

Tzahi Grad was born in 1962 in Jerusalem, Israel. He is an acclaimed actor, director and writer, known for Big bad wolves (2013), Girafot (2001) and Mal gesto (2006). Was nominated for many awards in Israel for his directing, as well as acting and writing. Won an Israeli Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in Mishehu Larutz Ito (2006). His latest film and third feature as a director is The Cousin (2017). He graduated “Nissan Nativ” Acting Studio. Participated in many plays, films and television series. Also directed a few plays for theater (fringe).