“Tale of the Three Jewels” tells the tale of Yusef, a 12-year-old boy growing up in the Gaza Strip, where people live in fear because of military violence.
His father is in jail. His brothers are on the run. He lives in poverty with his mother and sister.
Yusef is a dreamer and is often off in a world all his own. It is when he meets a pretty gypsy girl, Aida, that his real adventure begins. He immediately falls for her, but she informs him that in order to marry her, he must find the three missing jewels in her grandmother’s necklace.
Complicating things even more, the jewels were lost in South America. Yusef and his buddy Salah devise a plan to travel to South America and, in the process, learn a lot about life.
This is essentially a coming-of-age film. We see Yusef having his first crush, making lifelong friendships and realizing for the first time how cruel the world can be.
“Tale of Three Jewels” has several things in common with the American films of this genre. For instance, Yusef has an awkward dinner with all of Aida’s family members.
Symbolism plays a big part in this film. Several scenes, such as the opening shot, are confusing because viewers are watching a dream inside Yusef’s mind.
The language barrier posed another problem. It was difficult to simultaneously read subtitles and follow the onscreen action. Also, I found it hard to fully identify with another culture in the time span of a feature film.
But “Tale of the Three Jewels” does have some things going for it. In many ways, it looks like a documentary. Shot on location, it gives the American audience an interesting insight into the lives of those living in that area.
The film allows American viewers to explore the culture and customs of another country, while also exposing the horrible treatment of the common people by the army. Yet, at no point in the movie is a political agenda ever pushed.
Despite all of this, the heart of the film is apparent. I could never imagine living in fear like Yusef and his family. But ultimately, that is the point of the film: Through his dreams Yusef realizes that he can escape.
He comes to learn that although his life may be horribly out of control, the one thing he is always in control of is his soul.