The Band's Visit

Bikur Ha-Tizmoret
Director: Eran Kolirin
Israel, France 2007 89 mins
Language: Arabic/English/Hebrew with English subtitles
Cast: Sasson Gabai, Ronit Elkabetz, Saleh Bakri, Khalifa Natour
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Once upon a time but not so long ago, the Alexandria Ceremonial Police Band
travels from Egypt to Israel and gets stranded in a small desolate desert town.
By the time they realise their mistake the last bus has gone and they are luckily
befriended by an odd assortment of locals. Their conductor, Tawfiq (Sasson
Gabai) hesitantly accepts the invitation from the café manager Dina (Ronit
Elkabetz) to stay the night. Dina is sexually playful and this proves disconcerting
for Tawfiq whilst handsome ladies man Khaled (Saleh Bakri) is much more
responsive to her charms.

By the end of the visit both the Egyptians and the
Israelis have learned something about each other and also something about
themselves. This is a first feature length film for director, Eran Kolirin, who has
created a timeless and whimsical film with superb casting.
A refreshingly engaging take on cross cultural relations proves that it can
sometimes be possible to approach the subject with lightness and humour.