Racial tensions in Ramallah may not seem like a promising topic for a comedy. Seemingly influenced by Jaques Tati in his filming style and by Buster Keaton in his acting style in the lead role (both of which he denies), Palestinian director Elia Suleiman manages it. The simple story involves two lovers, one living in Jerusalem and one in Ramallah, who must repeatedly pass through a checkpoint to see each other. Working within Israel has limited his production to four feature films from 1996 to 2019. Of those features, this is my favorite. Recent violence in Palestine has led to Suleiman to suspend his filmmaking career. – Kristin Thompson