The documentary Coexistence, My Ass! follows comedian Noam Shuster-Eliassi through her personal, political, and professional life, where she blends comedy and activism.
The film takes its name from Shuster-Eliassi’s one-woman comedy show at Harvard, which was a satirical look at the Israel-Palestine coexistence solution. Shot over five years, the film explores her transition from her United Nations past to comedy.
Directed by Amber Fares in collaboration with Rachel Leah Jones, the documentary was the winner of the 2025 Sundance World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for Freedom of Expression and screened at the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival where it won Golden Alexander Award for Best Film, Human Rights in Motion Award.
It opens in theaters on October 29th at New York’s IFC Center followed by Chicago on November 6, Los Angeles on November 7, and San Francisco on November 14, with more cities to follow.
Coexistence, My Ass! follows activist-comedian Noam Shuster Eliassi as she creates a comedy show by the same name. Shot over five tumultuous years, the film traces Noam’s personal, professional and political journey in tandem with the region’s steady deterioration.
Raised bilingual in a mixed Jewish-Palestinian village — the only intentionally integrated community in the country — Noam grows disillusioned with traditional peace activism. She pivots to stand-up and quickly attracts attention across the Middle East. But as her star rises, everything around her falls apart. With biting satire, Noam pushes her audiences to face difficult truths that aren’t always funny but remind us that another reality — grounded in justice and equality — is possible.
Director Amber Fares described the journey in a statement, saying “I started filming with Noam in 2019 when she moved to Boston to build her one-woman show at Harvard. Her journey has taken many surprising turns since then, as has our world. I’ve followed her as she’s had to navigate growing attacks on dissent from her own society, and of course the total destruction of Gaza. Using humor to push her audiences to face these realities is her life’s mission — and it has been an honor to be on her journey with her.”
Watch the official trailer of Coexistence, My Ass! Above.
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