Talate: The Three Line

Einav Schiff, Published in Seven Nights, Yediot Ahronot

It’s tempting to write that a series about three girls from different ethnicities (Jewish, Arab and Eritrean) is more relevant than ever. The truth is that the battle for “Israelism” (identity, morals, the rules of the game) has always been here; it’s just that, ten days ago, it seemed that one side of the political map landed a knockout on the other, and it will not rise even when the count reaches a thousand.

Under such circumstances, Talate (“three” in Arabic), coming to Teen Nick for HOT subscribers in 2023, is an unusual and intriguing event. The series, produced by Ananey Studios, presents Yasmin (Valerie Hemati, left in the photo), Dalina (Parpilov Mongoza, center), and Ella (Lihi Toledano, right), young women from Tel Aviv who start a musical ensemble with the intention of, God forbid, speaking and singing about their adversities – condescension, racism, broken family, bleak future. They are accepted into a musical reality show (this also happened in real life for Hemati and Toledano) and learn that the system likes diversity until it comes to telling the truth to one’s face.

Indeed, it’s hard to expect a teen drama to be the flag bearer of a cultural protest, but when looking around, it’s also possible to admit – there aren’t many other options available.