Dancing Arabs - A Borrowed Identity

Dancing Arabs - A Borrowed Identity follows Eyad, a Palestinian teenager from the Israeli town of Tira, who wins admission to a prestigious Jewish high school in Jerusalem thanks to his sharp mind. Once there he becomes close to Naomi, a Jewish classmate, a bond that draws hostility from both sides. A compulsory community service assignment introduces him to Yonatan, who lives with muscular dystrophy, and to Yonatan's mother Edna, and the three grow into an unlikely circle of friendship. To be accepted in this new world, Eyad feels compelled to hide who he really is, and gradually loses his footing between his true self and the identity he performs.

The Israeli-French-German drama was directed by Eran Riklis from Sayed Kashua's adaptation of his own 2002 novel. Released in 2014, it was chosen to open the Jerusalem Film Festival, although finishing the film took several extra months because of the Gaza fighting that summer.