UPCOMING Comedy Shows
coexistence, My ass!
COEXISTENCE, MY ASS! is a groundbreaking feature documentary that follows comedian Noam Shuster as she lives, writes and performs her potent one-woman show dished out in a mouthwatering blend of English, Hebrew and Arabic (and sometimes Farsi!).
Noam's political satire catapults her to viral popularity and uniquely positions her as a fresh voice in a stale Middle East. But while a global pandemic rages, regional conflicts fester, and dinner-table debates flare, Noam tries to do the unthinkable by using humor to fight for justice and equality for everyone, even at the expense of her personal safety.
A cinéma vérité tragicomedy that will make people laugh, cry and rethink their own power, privilege and precarious place in the world — one joke at a time.
Reckoning with Laughter is a short film that we produced originally for Al Jazeera for their flagship documentary program Witness. It has been nominated for the SIMA global impact awards and a Foreign Press Association Media Award. The film is currently featured on The New Yorker online.
Noam's Videos
Producers for a primetime current-events show offer Noam a guest spot on Israeli public television where she writes and performs satirical skits and opinion pieces in both Hebrew and Arabic. Many of her pieces have gone viral across the Middle East. Noam is doing what no one has done before: uniting Israelis and Arabs around their respective anti-government sentiments.
PRESS
Peacebuilding Through Jokes in “Reckoning with Laughter” (The New Yorker)
Reckoning with Laughter: Noam Shuster returns to Israel (Al Jazeera Witness)
From peacekeeper to joke-maker: Israeli comedian Noam Shuster (Guardian)
Noam Shuster: An Israeli comedian speaks out | The Stream (Al Jazeera interview)
WATCH: Al Jazeera Produces a Film on Israeli Stand-up Comedian (Haaretz)
An Arabic-Speaking Jewish Stand-Up Comedian Talks About The Conflict (Times of Israel)
'Arabs couldn't believe there is a Jewish Israeli criticising Israel in Arabic' (Middle Eastern Monitor)
Yoga, singing, dancing. Inside a 'Coronavirus Hotel' (CNN)
'Everybody's Getting Along Here': How 'Hotel Corona' United Israelis And Palestinians (NPR)
This Jewish Comedian Offered to Marry MBS – and Sparked an Instant Controversy (Haaretz)
'It’s Impossible to Reduce Me': The Most Up-and-coming Jewish Comedian Dares You to Put Her in a Box (Haaretz)
The Team
Amber Fares - Director/Producer
An award winning documentary filmmaker based in New York. Best known for her feature film SPEED SISTERS, broadcasted internationally on Netflix, Al Jazeera, and RAI. Her latest work includes Netflix's CONVERGENCE, BOYCOTT, AND SHE COULD BE NEXT, AMERICA INSIDE OUT with KATIE COURIC and Peabody Award winning THE JUDGE. Amber's work has been seen on Netflix, Al Jazeera, National Geographic, Hulu and PBS. She was a Sundance Momentum Fellow and Sundance Editing and Story Lab Fellow.
Rachel Leah Jones - Producer
A critically-acclaimed and award-winning documentary filmmaker, Rachel is a two-time Sundance alumna best known for her film ADVOCATE (2019) — which won an Emmy for Best Documentary and was shortlisted for the Oscars; GYPSY DAVY (2012), ASHKENAZ (2007), and 500 DUNAM ON THE MOON (2002). In addition to creating her own work, Rachel has produced extensively for others and been affiliated with alternative media outlets such as Democracy Now!
Philippe Bellaiche - Cinematographer
A critically-acclaimed and award-winning DP, Philippe is a two-time Sundance alumnus best known for his directing-debut ADVOCATE (2019) — which won an Emmy for Best Documentary and was shortlisted for the Oscars; Other titles include Avi Mograbi's AVENGE BUT ONE OF MY TWO EYES, Z32, ONCE I ENTERED A GARDEN, and BETWEEN FENCES; Shimon Dotan's HOTHOUSE and SETTLERS; and Eyal Sivan and Michel Khleifi's ROUTE 181.
Rabab Haj Yahya - Editor
Rabab was the editor on Legend of the Underground, Speed Sisters, Love the Sinner, An Act of Worship and The Feeling of Being Watched, which she won the Best Editing of A Feature Documentary at Woodstock International Film Festival. She attended the Sundance Edit and Story Labs in 2014 with Speed Sisters. Rabab is a Palestinian citizen of Israel and speaks English, Arabic, and Hebrew fluently.