Mayor

Though primarily an inspiring tale of maintaining dignity in the face of overwhelming odds, Mayor is also a pretty decent Christmas movie.

David Osit’s documentary chronicles the second mayoral term of Musa Hadid in Ramallah, Palestine, during which he strives to make his Israeli-occupied city as hospitable as possible. The charismatic man’s efforts include installing a beautiful fountain in front of City Hall, improving waste management, and traveling the world to drum up support for Palestinian independence — but also decorating the town square with a giant Christmas tree and attending all sorts of holiday celebrations.

This refreshing depiction of liberal values in a misunderstood region is augmented by numerous gorgeous vistas, and the combination of stunning sights and peace-loving people send a strong message that Ramallah is worth preserving and that its citizens deserve a life greater than what amounts to that of captives.

Mayor is also one of the first films to illustrate the impact of President Trump’s foreign policy decisions, specifically his decision to recognize Jerusalem — a holy city to both Israel and Palestine — as the Israeli capital and establish a U.S. embassy there.

The shocking news leads to Palestinian protests and, loyal servant that he is, Hadid finds himself dangerously close to his constituents’ clashes with Israeli soldiers, resulting in a pair of harrowing sequences reminiscent of similar scenes of unrest in U.S. cities this past summer.

But tense as these moments are, they also excel at building sympathy for a true Palestinian state — and if that’s not enough, there’s also “Jingle Bells” to keep things from getting too morbid.

Grade: B-plus. Not rated, but with adult language and themes. Available to rent via grailmoviehouse.com

(Photo: Film Movement)