Imagine trying to pitch this comedy series: it’s about a refugee illegally crossing the Mexican border and encountering the full might of hostile immigration systems; oh, and he’s Palestinian; and lots of the dialogue is in Arabic; and many of the jokes are about hummus.
Sounds like a sure fire hit, right?
Yes. The second season of Mo on Netflix has been a hit, rated 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and lavished with praise by audience and critics alike. Even the famously migrant-hostile Daily Mail has noted the series’ success.
It’s an incredible creative achievement for Mo Amer, his co-writer Ramy Youssef and the whole team. To bring together humour, nuance, national politics, geo-politics, representation and so much more in such a fluent package at this time is nothing short of remarkable.
Credit also to Netflix. It’s hard to imagine another platform supporting such a show in the same way, especially when the pressure to silence Palestinian culture and perspectives has been so strong from so many places.
Mo blazes a new trail for the potential of narrative change through popular culture. When news media and social media seeks to reduce and de-humanise, storytelling can represent the full range of refugee experiences and seek out our shared humanity.
There are so many more stories to tell. Funny stories. Stories that can move us. Mo shows the way.