Go West, 2011

 

 

Go West documents the annual Easter parade of the Christian Palestinian Scouts in Jaffa. The parade takes place on Jaffa's Yefet Street with the participation of representatives of the various churches, representatives of the Christian community. Flags of the Greek-Orthodox church, flags bearing the figure of St. George's one of the local Christian community's most conspicuous symbols and those of the scout troops, are hoisted in this colorful parade, juxtaposed with the Israeli flags hung on the street for Independence Day. Similarly, the music accompanying the parade is a blend of military parade tunes, pop music, the Village People's eponymous song, and popular European and Arab tunes. Like previous works by Guez, Go West touches upon questions of ethnicity, multi-culturalism, and East-West relations, challenging binary perceptions which pose clear boundaries between different communities and cultures