Wajib

Wajib is a car ride through an old city new to you. Fortunately, early on I knew where this was going (in circles) and I understood how fast we would go (which was slow). But that was okay because I'd realised it early on and so could sit back and enjoy my slow ride to nowhere. Wajib is the story of a young (early 30s?) Palestinian man who's come back from his self-imposed exile in Italy to help his father hand deliver invitations to his sister's wedding. Most of the film takes place while the young man and his father drive around Nazareth, passing out invitations to family and friends. What little story there is (will their estranged mother attend, who should they invite, what wedding dress to choose) takes a back seat to the people and the discussions that drive the film. Wajib is not a slow burn, it's just slow, but it is exactly what it tries to be and in today's cinema experience, that alone is worth a 'recommend'.