Loss is a recurring theme in our lives, explored intensely by means of numerous types of artwork, writing, and movie, significantly in immediately’s tumultuous world. But, amid the sorrow, we frequently uncover a way of self, justice, hope, and voice. Within the impartial documentary Coexistence, My Ass!, Director Amber Fares highlights the journey of activist-comedian Noam Shuster-Eliassi, who provides a uniquely profound—and humorously insightful—perspective on loss.
Shuster-Eliassi, a Jewish Israeli lady, tirelessly makes use of her stand-up comedy and activism to deal with the realities of occupation, democracy, and coexistence. She asserts, “Coexistence can solely occur between two equals. It isn’t so complicated… I’ve examined coexistence, nevertheless it does not work between oppressor and oppressed. The answer is straightforward.” Along with her mix of sincerity and satire, we watch Shuster-Eliassi navigate by means of layers of loss and oppression, uncovering a multi-lingual voice full of readability.
Coexistence, My Ass! premiered on the Sundance Movie Competition in January 2025, successful the World Cinema Documentary Particular Jury Award for Freedom of Expression. Since then, it has been showcased at over 70 festivals worldwide, garnering quite a few accolades and capturing the hearts of viewers. Most not too long ago, it was shortlisted for the Academy Awards for Greatest Documentary.
PopMatters initially reached out to Fares when she attended the 43rd Torino Movie Competition in late November to current her work. There, she obtained two awards: the Jury Prize for Greatest Documentary and the Gandhi’s Glasses Award. Fares shared that her motivations for this challenge stemmed from her perception in “how irony can focus on the complexity of tragedy” and “reworking humor into resistance,” which reveals the contradictions inherent in battle whereas illuminating the tough realities of warfare.
Because the documentary’s competition journey continued, the precise interview with Fares happened on-line in early January 2026, shortly after the announcement of the movie’s Oscar shortlist.
‘Coexistence, My Ass!’ Has a Sting in Its Zing
Amber Fares is an completed cinematographer and director, acknowledged for her documentaries, together with her debut Velocity Sisters (2015), which chronicles the primary all-women race automobile driving crew within the Arab World. The movie was set within the West Financial institution, a spot the place she lived for a number of years. Throughout her time there, she linked with Shuster-Eliassi by means of mutual pals whereas Shuster-Eliassi was serving as a peace activist with the United Nations.
Fares’ newest documentary offers an intimate portrait of Shuster-Eliassi, exploring her childhood in Neve Shalom/Wāhat as-Salām, an intentional group based on ideas of coexistence, the place Israeli Jews and Palestinians have cohabitated because the Seventies. Youngsters on this group develop up attending bilingual faculties, fluently talking each Arabic and Hebrew.
Shuster-Eliassi humorously observes that “what turned regular for us felt like science fiction to the remainder of the world.” The scholars have interaction in peace research, with visions of at some point successful the Nobel Peace Prize. This upbringing, coupled along with her dad and mom’ progressive beliefs, shapes her activism and comedy.
Fares started filming in 2019, whereas Shuster-Eliassi was in Cambridge on a Harvard fellowship creating a peace-building challenge that was, in essence, her comedy act. “I understood what Noam stood for, however I wasn’t totally conscious of the fascinating depths of her story.” Simply as Fares was initiating the filming course of, the onset of COVID-19 led to widespread cancellations of Shuster-Eliassi’s scheduled performances throughout the US, together with on the Kennedy Middle.
From the very begin, Coexistence, My Ass! took on a dynamic lifetime of its personal, traversing vital world occasions, together with the pandemic, political costs in opposition to Netanyahu, escalating protests in Israel, and the continued occupation of Palestine, culminating within the tragic occasions of October seventh and their aftermath. Fares notes, “In any movie associated to Israel and Palestine, political components inevitably floor. You could not all the time know what they’re, however you have to be ready to adapt.”
Confronted with challenges, together with being separated from Shuster-Eliassi early within the movie’s manufacturing when she returned to Israel in March 2020 and contracted the virus, Fares tailored with resilience. She inspired Shuster-Eliassi to doc her personal experiences whereas additionally collaborating with native filmmakers who may navigate the complicated panorama of the scenario. “With folks fluent in Arabic, Hebrew, and English, we fashioned a priceless crew, permitting for a nuanced portrayal that I couldn’t obtain alone.”
The result is a richly layered character research of Shuster-Eliassi, revealing her intelligence, wit, and fierce dedication. Eschewing conventional sit-down interviews, Fares permits Shuster-Eliassi to precise herself by means of her personal vulnerability, comedic insights, and unyielding willpower. The documentary’s framework follows her stand-up performances whereas integrating key moments from her life and vital world occasions, spanning from 2019 to 2024.
Fares displays, “From the start, I envisioned utilizing a stand-up comedy construction, even earlier than totally greedy the place Shuster-Eliassi’s comedy would lead us. Her jokes mirror deeply on her experiences and her familial and communal roots.” Because the enhancing progressed, the crew selected clips from numerous performances, using Shuster-Eliassi’s humor to assemble a cohesive narrative.
Though the Sundance software was submitted earlier than they completed enhancing, as soon as accepted, it marked a turning level for the movie’s growth. “Receiving our acceptance was thrilling but nerve-wracking as we have been nonetheless solidifying the movie’s construction.”
Getting Humorous Will get to Getting Actual
Shuster-Eliassi typically recounts her transition from UN work to comedy throughout her performances. Impressed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s journey from comic to politician, she quips, “If I wish to take my political profession significantly, I want to begin writing jokes.” Her capacity to mix her private narrative with the political panorama, and accomplish that in three languages relying on her viewers, makes her performances uniquely partaking.
Fares initially doubted Shuster-Eliassi’s comedic prowess, admitting she hadn’t seen her carry out earlier than embarking on this challenge. But, she found that “comedy has a disarming high quality, opening hearts and minds.” Because the movie delves into heavier matters, viewers discover themselves extra receptive to the troublesome truths Shuster-Eliassi shares.
Coexistence, My Ass! seamlessly transitions from humor to gravity because it captures Shuster-Eliassi’s activism. At one level, she finds herself amidst a pro-democracy protest, the place many attendees fail to attach the occupation of Palestine with democracy. When confronted and labeled “an enemy of the state,” she retorts, “I’m an enemy of the fascist state.”
Whereas stand-up will be daunting, Shuster-Eliassi’s best concern revolves round her Israeli audiences. On display, she expresses a way of consolation whereas performing within the US, recognizing that Palestinian viewers typically possess a heightened consciousness, whereas her Jewish viewers requires extra nuanced engagement. She reassures audiences at her exhibits, “Don’t fear. I am solely right here for seven minutes, not 70 years.”
The documentary artfully navigates the painful realities post-October seventh. Shuster-Eliassi’s emotional toll turns into evident as she grapples with the reactions of fellow Israeli comedians who make use of humor to entertain troops deployed for warfare. “For her, it was traumatic; she felt a profound shift in her comedy.”
Within the movie’s last act, Shuster-Eliassi confronts her frustrations with Israeli society, sharing uncooked moments of dialog as they tread by means of loss collectively. “Give us a second to course of,” she implores, emphasizing the necessity for therapeutic amidst ongoing violence.
In quieter moments, she acknowledges the invaluable help she’s obtained from Palestinians by means of her platform, whilst she grapples with fears over her capacity to voice her ideas brazenly. Tearfully, she states, “On the finish of the day, Noam Shuster can be okay,” a sentiment laden with melancholy as she acknowledges her privilege in distinction to the struggles of her Palestinian pals.
Fares highlights Shuster-Eliassi’s consciousness of her benefits: “She is acutely conscious that her experiences pale compared to the trials confronted by Palestinians. She embraces her position as an ally whereas discovering function in her comedy.” Shuster-Eliassi’s deep connections with Palestinians enrich her life whereas fueling her advocacy.
All through the 5 years of filming, Fares gained profound insights into Shuster-Eliassi’s motivations. “I knew she had Palestinian pals, however uncovering the depth of her relationship with the trigger was enlightening. This dedication to co-resistance was inspiring.”
After the movie’s premiere and subsequent accolades, together with awards from festivals like Thessaloniki Worldwide and Full Body Documentary, Fares was overwhelmed by the reactions. A poignant second occurred throughout a screening at BAM in Brooklyn, the place a various viewers of Arabs and Jews shared the expertise of watching the movie collectively. “It isn’t about dialogue, however the energy of shared viewing is profound.”
The movie had a theatrical run within the US in October 2025, adopted by a web-based launch on the finish of that 12 months. Further screenings are set to proceed in early 2026 throughout Canada and the US, in addition to in France, Germany, and Italy. Sadly, US distribution has offered challenges, “like many movies on such matters,” however the response has been overwhelmingly optimistic.
Noam Shuster-Eliassi’s narrative sparks important conversations. Within the movie, she emphasizes that her purpose as a comic will not be unity however resistance in opposition to the relentless forces shaping lives. Her deep sense of loss mirrors the hopeful imaginative and prescient she grew up with, as she navigates the complexities of co-resistance by means of her distinctive model of humor. Coexistence, My Ass! stands as a brave testomony to 1 activist’s imaginative and prescient and dedication, illuminating how humor can play an important position in expressing painful truths.
