A musical comedy set in the West Bank, where two competing falafel stands — one Israeli, one Palestinian — face off across a divided street. When a young Israeli soldier falls for a beautiful Palestinian cashier, their Romeo-and-Juliet romance threatens to ignite an all-out hummus war.
Editorial Perspective
Ari Sandel’s West Bank Story takes the most intractable conflict on earth and turns it into a West Side Story parody — and somehow it works. The musical numbers are genuinely catchy, the satire is sharp without being cruel, and the falafel-stand setting allows for physical comedy that would feel forced in a more “serious” treatment. The film’s greatest achievement may be making both sides look equally ridiculous and equally human.
Where to Watch
Available on YouTube and Vimeo. Also included in various Oscar-nominated shorts compilation programs.
Historical data reconstructed from archive.org snapshots of the Manhattan Short Film Festival website.
