In the break of an unexpected peace between Israel and Lebanon, an Austrian UN officer serves the border - his name is Baumschlager. No one would guess by the look of him, but Baumschlager manages to get himself romantically tangled with an Israeli female officer as well as a Lebanese virgin, all while having a good wife back in Austria. Never means harm, Baumschlager simply wants to please everyone around him. But as his actions set motion to a local drug dealer with a risky blackmail, Baumschlager may very much be the end of peace in the Middle East.

Baumschlager

Set in the cloak-and-dagger world of the IDF’s undercover special forces - the Mista'arvim - Fauda is an Israeli-produced TV drama which has garnered praise for its realistic depiction of military tactics alongside its empathetic portrayal of Palestinians, militant or otherwise. BBC Arabic joins the production of the hotly anticipated second season, and tries to understand how it might one day pave the way for a dialogue between the two sides built on mutual understanding and compassion.

The Real Fauda

Sassi is more than 20 years older than his wife Effi and is worried about his declining powers. Surgery has left him seeking treatment for impotence, but Effi insists she’s content with their emotional closeness. In her work as a physical therapist, though, Effi sees the link between body and heart every day. The biggest challenge to their loving relationship has been the gambling debts Sassi’s adult son keeps running up. But the couple’s fragile understanding, compounded by the presence of two young men, introduces new threats. Their teenage grandson, Omri, returns from living with his father in Europe, at loose ends and clearly in need of guidance. For one thing, he can barely stand to wear a shirt. Then a young patient turns up at the swimming pool where Effi conducts therapy sessions. He comes to confront her about something from their past, something complicated, contested, and painful to them both.

Bliss

Eid, a young Bedouin from Rahat, spends his nights in Skype calls with Dounia, a married Arab actress living in Paris. Dounia is both his audience and his muse for a play he is writing about his life. When his parents force him to marry a woman he doesn’t know, Eid fears he will not be able to complete his dream. Eid will try to change his fate, determine the ending of his play himself, and tell his story—even if no one is there to listen.