There are some shows that grow on you, and take a while to evoke feelings in you... and then there others that hook you right in from thr first scene. Fauda (chaos in Arabic) is definitely the latter. The story explores the fight of the Israeli Defence against dreaded Hamas terrorists, and is supposedly based on the real military experiences between the two factions.
The protagonist Doron Kavilio, played by Lior Raz, looks like a man with killer instincts but has retired from a high-octane life to manage a vineyard in Israel. Doron was a former army officer, who rejoins the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) after it comes to light that the terrorist Taufiq, who he apparently killed 18 months prior, is still alive. Much to the chagrin of his wife Gali, Doron feels the familiar pull of action and adventure, as intel reveals that Taufiq is set to attend the wedding of his younger brother Bashir and this is their chance to finally kill him.
A bloody chase begins resulting in the newly married Bashir getting killed and Taufiq getting wounded but escapes yet again. Bashir’s widow Amal vows to avenge the death of Bashir by blowing up a night club, which would send a strong message to the Israeli defence as well. And all this happens in just the first episode! So one can only imagine how gripping and taut the remainder of the series is.
Fauda has evoked mixed feelings worldover, but is already a huge hit on Netflix. Unlike other propagandist TV shows, mostly centred around the USA, Fauda shows you the underbelly of the age-old conflict between Israel and Palestine. Interestingly, the show is a big hit in Palestine as well, and admittedly, the Palestinian Mafia is shown to be menacing, focused and highly intelligent.
What works well for Fauda apart from the pace of the script, superlative performances and memorable characters like Doron, Boaz and Nurit is that it is very real. Probably because it was shot in Israel, there are no sanitised campaigns to project the two communities in a visually and culturally appeasing manner. Instead, it offers a true perspective into the highs and lows of life on either side of the border, and context into the historic conflict. Unlike the usual rhetoric of showing the gory and inhumane side of terrorism, Fauda manipulates your emotions by offering a glimpse of what it’s like to live among terrorists, and eventually become one, It doesn’t justify their actions, but brings you close to humanising them - and that’s ground-breaking in itself.
