UCM.ONE brings the internationally acclaimed documentary “Coexistence, My Ass!” by director Amber Fares to cinemas in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland from February 5, 2026, making one of the world’s most acclaimed documentaries of the year accessible to a wide cinema audience.
On the eve of the theatrical release – on February 4, February 2026 at 7:30 p.m. – the official premiere took place at the Filmtheater am Friedrichshain in Berlin. The event was hosted by UCM.ONE together with the JFBB – Jewish Film Festival Berlin Brandenburg, the organization Friends of Standing Together Berlin, and the New Israel Fund (NIF) Germany. Among the guests were representatives of the cooperation partners as well as numerous representatives from the press and film industry.
Theatrical release: In theaters in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland starting February 5, 2026.
Naomi Levari, German-American-Israeli producer, film journalist, and member of the JFBB program committee, moderated the evening and guided the audience through the program. After the screening of the film in its original version with English subtitles (OmeU), there was a film discussion with a live digital Q&A with producer and writer Rahel Leah Jones and director and producer Amber Fares.
In the interview, Fares and Jones provided in-depth insights into the film’s creative process, their working methods, and the particular challenges of production—especially in the context of the events since October 7, 2023. They also reported on the diverse reactions and discussions that “Coexistence, My Ass!“ has triggered among audiences in the Middle East and internationally. The Berlin audience participated actively in the open and multifaceted discussion.
With the theatrical premiere of “Coexistence, My Ass!”, UCM.ONE continues its collaboration with the JFBB, which takes a critical look at contemporary Jewish realities and social debates in its program. Together with its cooperation partners, UCM.ONE is thus setting an example for open discourse, constructive exchange and diversity of perspectives.
Synopsis
“Coexistence, My Ass!” follows Israeli activist and comedian Noam Shuster Eliassi as she creates her comedy show of the same name. Filmed over a turbulent five-year period, the documentary traces Noam’s personal, professional, and political journey against the backdrop of the region’s steadily deteriorating situation.
Raised in the bilingual Israeli-Palestinian village of Wahat al-Salam – Neve Shalom (Oasis of Peace), a deliberately integrated community, Noam increasingly loses faith in traditional peace activism. She turns to stand-up comedy and quickly gains attention throughout the Middle East. But as her star rises, everything around her collapses.
With biting satire, Noam confronts her audience with difficult truths that are not always funny, but remind us that another reality is possible.
Film Talk: Amber Fares and Rachel Leah Jones in conversation with Christoph Terhechte
© 2026 UCM.ONE / NONFY Documentaries
In our film talk for the theatrical release, film critic Christoph Terhechte (festival director of DOK Leipzig until January 31, 2026; previously director of the Berlinale Forum) talks to Amber Fares and Rachel Leah Jones about “Coexistence, My Ass!” – and how Noam Shuster Eliassi as the protagonist and her comedy carry a film that has been maturing for five years and will have to find new words after October 7, 2023. Fares describes how, as a long-time acquaintance, she began filming Noam at Harvard as she developed her one-woman show, without a finished dramaturgical plan; Jones describes the close on-site collaboration, the constant refinement of context and comprehensibility, and the strength of a diverse team spanning languages and perspectives. One thing is clear: the film dispenses with talking heads and turns Noam’s stage into a narrative machine – self-questioning, commentary, safe space and risk all at once. The radical nature of this principle is evident in the escalation of the present: comedy here is not an escape, but a method of keeping contradictions visible.
Further information about the film: Coexistence, my Ass!
Further information about the film label: NONFY Documentaries
