Heat Wave is a 90 minutes satirical comedy where reality is presented in an exaggerated fashion. As the name of the title implies, the whole film will take place during a summer heat wave, so we will see the effect of the high temperatures on the people and how they respond to this unusual summer. It will look at how heat affects their behavior, their surroundings and their relations with others.
Heat Wave is inspired by my experience and memories as a Palestinian born three years after the 1967 war, in a city under occupation. I did not understand what it meant to have a foreign army control our city, until one day in the early eighties when my older brother and I where entering the Damascus gate, and my brother got slapped by an Israeli soldier. I don’t remember why and how but later that day we laughed about it. We found it funny because it was a hot summer day and demeanor had been languid and the slap was so sudden that my brother did not see it coming.
In this film, I see Jerusalem, which is known for its seriousness, religious fanaticism and political upheaval, as a source of laughter. It often happens that moments of laughter can arise from serious situations and what more can one ask for than Jerusalem as a setting for these scenarios. The city inhabits many different religions and cultures that include Muslims, Christians, Jews, Armenians, Black Africans and Gypsies. Jerusalem has been at the center of negotiations between Palestinians and Israelis and a resolution for the city is a major element for there to be a lasting solution. But while a solution continues to be negotiated, the inhabitants live their daily lives and some have come to believe that a resolution may never be found.
It is from the reality of everyday life in Jerusalem that I got the inspiration for this film. The stories of the characters from the film are all inspired in some way by accounts and memories of people who live in the city. The film is based on the multilayered plot lines of five main characters. Although the stories of each character are not linked, the parallelism amongst them will be created in the way the film is edited so that their different lives are interwoven to create one story. We will also use editing to emphasize the comedic aspect of the film, to highlight the characters’ dilemmas and bring humor into situations.
In general, the style of the film will have a humoristic approach, with all that it carries along with it in terms of mise-en-scène. It also will stick to the basic comedy rules of exaggeration, repetition and surprises.