The son of Hassan Youssef, a founding member of Hamas in the West Bank, Mosab Hassan Yousef grew up among hate for Israel. Arrested for smuggling guns at 17, he is interrogated by the Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security service and sent to prison. There he discovers how merciless Hamas’ methods are and as suicide bombings escalate, he is talked into spying for Israel. The documentary tells Mosab’s dangerous and complex story.

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Nadav Schirman’s first movie, The Champagne Spy, dealt with the relationship between a son and his Mossad agent father. His second, In the Dark Room, was about the wife of the legendary terrorist Carlos. With this third documentary, The Green Prince, the filmmaker continues to explore terrorism from a personal point of view. Adapted from the book “Son of Hamas” by Mosab Hassan Yousef, the film places a Palestinian at the heart of an operation worthy of a Hollywood movie, between his father, an influential member of Hamas, and a Shin Bet agent who slowly becomes a father figure. The subject is enthralling on different levels as Mosab’s life is full of surprises. But this abundance of twists and turns makes the documentary seem artificial, as it is enhanced by stylish, close-up interviews given directly into the camera, as well as images that could have been taken from a feature film – unexplained satellite and infrared images, for example. The result is a muddled mix of real and surreal that is detrimental to a true story that is already incredible enough.