REVIEW: ‘Mayor’ depicts day-to-day life of Ramallah’s mayor
Photo: Mayor is a new documentary that follows Musa Hadid, mayor of Ramallah. Photo courtesy of Film Forum / Provided by official site.
Mayor, the new documentary from filmmaker David Osit, offers viewers an insider’s look at the life of Mayor Musa Hadid, leader of Ramallah, billed as the de-facto capital of the Palestinian people. The government worker deals with many struggles on a daily basis, but somehow he keeps it together for his constituents.
Osit’s film follows Hadid as he works in a disputed area that is on the frontlines of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but the director also allows for many smaller narratives, including the unveiling of a new community fountain, the lighting of the city’s Christmas tree, and how the mayor and his staff try to sell Ramallah to visitors and the rest of the world. There are sometimes humorous examples of bureaucratic obstacles, and there are other times when the conflict that frames the entire picture spills out into real life. One shocking scene finds the mayor holed up in city hall, unable to leave because there’s an armed conflict taking place right outside the entrance. A man who has breathed in gas of some kind seeks refuge in the city hall’s lobby, and it becomes obvious this is not a typical mayor serving his term in a typical city.
The residents of Ramallah seem to adore their mayor. They wave to him on the street, invite him over to lunch (further delaying his schedule) and look to him to be one of the outspoken critics in the ongoing conflict. He doesn’t hold back in his stance on behalf of the Palestinian cause. The movie depicts him working with German diplomats and raising concerns about the occupation. He also meets with Prince William for a photo shoot, but in a pre-meeting he clearly shows frustration over these gestures that don’t always move the needle.
The access to Hadid is to be applauded. There are family scenes when he tries to take a break and catch his breath, many meetings with his staff members, trips to different parts of Ramallah, and even journeys to see clashes between his city’s residents and the Israeli military (he stays on the sidelines, watching from afar). Osit is like a fly on the wall, watching the mayor’s every move, never passing judgment and never pushing an agenda.
On its surface, Mayor may appear to be a documentary about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, yet the film never directly deals with the particulars of the conflict or the hopes for a peaceful future. The closest the documentary comes to addressing the elephant in the room is when Hadid offers the audience his view on President Donald Trump’s administration and its recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel (previous presidential administrations refrained from such a move).
Mayor tells a side of this well-known story that is not always told, and Hadid makes for an interesting and engaging subject, someone who is on the frontlines of a multi-year global conflict, and yet sometimes all he wants to do is make sure the community’s new fountain is working.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Mayor (2020). Directed by David Osit. Running time: 89 minutes. Film Movement. Currently streaming via New York City’s Film Forum. Click here for more information. Rating: 
