BBC World Service East Asia

Miriam and Youssef

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Drama: Relationships & Romance

A 10-part drama about the founding of Israel

A 10-part drama about the founding of Israel.  Miriam is a Jewish immigrant to Palestine, and Youssef is an Arab inhabitant driven into exile.

A 10-part drama about the founding of Israel. Miriam is a Jewish immigrant to Palestine, and Youssef is an Arab inhabitant driven into exile. At the heart of it all is the city of Jerusalem.

Miriam and Youssef: Miriam and Youssef: Ep 2. Halutzim

Factual

06/05/2020 GMT

Ep 2. Halutzim

BBC World Service - Miriam and Youssef, Miriam and Youssef, Ep 2. Halutzim

1925. Miriam and her mother move into a new kibbutz close to Jerusalem

1925. Miriam and her mother move into a kibbutz close to Jerusalem. Miriam meets an Arab boy, Youssef, for the first time. Episode two of the drama.

1925. Miriam and her mother move into a new kibbutz close to Jerusalem and find Yehoshua, also a Jewish refugee from Europe. Miriam and Youssef meet - two young people from across the divide. But Yehoshua distrusts the Arabs and threatens Youssef, his father and his uncle. Harry finds Youssef work. Episode two of the drama.
 
Written by Steve Waters.

CAST
Youssef: Amir El-Masry 
Miriam: Shani Erez
Young Miriam: Ava Merson-O’Brien 
Young Youssef: Jo Ben Ayed 
Sara: Jessica Turner 
Yehoshua: Philip Arditti 
Ben-Gurion: Elliot Levey 
Abu Khalid: Rami Nasr 
Umm Khalid: Sirine Saba 
Harry Lister: Blake Ritson 
Mahmoud: Daniel Rabin
The Mufti: Dana Haqjoo 
Major Dennis: Clive Hayward 
Other parts: Heather Craney and Neil McCaul 
Original music: Glenn Sharp
Sound designer: Caleb Knightley
This episode was updated on 11 May 2020.

Miriam and Youssef: Miriam and Youssef

BBC World Service

A ten part drama exploring the founding of Israel.

An epic ten-part drama charts the turbulent decades leading up to the founding of Israel.

Miriam and Youssef, a ten part series for the BBC World Service, dramatising the tragic history of the founding of Israel.  Driving it is a dual narrative, told by two former neighbours: Miriam, a Jewish Immigrant to Palestine and Youssef, a Palestinian Arab driven into exile in 1948 - both asking the question, ‘how did we get here?’.  
At its heart is the city of Jerusalem, during the three decades of the British Mandate, represented by a third core character Harry Lister, an idealistic colonial official avid to implement the ‘Balfour Declaration’ but increasingly disenchanted with its implications. 
The history of the creation of Israel is a story of triumph and disaster, of attacks and reprisals, of good intentions and misunderstandings. The series highlights the fact that at one moment one group may rejoice while another despairs. Although Big Events are taking place, both in Palestine and across the world during this period, and although it includes some important historical characters and epic scenes of riot and battle, the story is told through the intimate personal experiences of Miriam and Youssef and their families.

Although the series is fictional, it is based on fact. Every effort has been made to ensure that the series is culturally, linguistically and historically accurate.

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Miriam and Youssef

Miriam and Youssef

Ep 2. Halutzim

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