The Green Prince

Well-researched, well-intentioned but tedious and slow is possibly the kind of documentary to avoid.The opposite of that is Nadav Sherman’s latest work which tells a tale of middle-eastern intrigue with the tension and pace of a thriller.

Dramatic, shadowy interiors are shown in panning shots, an ominous but subtle music score (by Max Richter of Waltz with Bashir) adds to the mood. The story is told in matter-of-fact style by the two protagonists; a tale that seems to blend the incredible with the inevitable and has such immediacy it appears to happen in real time.

Mosab Hassan Yousef is the son of Sheikh Hassan Yousef, a founding member of Hamas. Recruited by Israeli security (Shin Bet) and code-named The Green Prince, for 10 years he was their informant; his ‘handler’ was Gonen Ben Yitzhak.

Both men have turned their backs on their former lives. (MMu)

4/5 stars

Written by Michael Muir