Reviewed by Varda Hardy
(at Cannes 2007)
Writer/Director: Eran Kolirin
Starring: Sasson Gabai, Ronit Elkabetz, Saleh Bakri, Khalifa Natour
Studio/Production Co.: July August Productions /Bleiberg Entertainment / Sophie Dulac Productions
Description: A small Egyptian Police band arrives in Israel for the first time. No one comes to pick them up and they must find their own way to a small, forgotten town somewhere in the desert where they have been commissioned to perform at the opening of a local cultural event. Hungry and tired, the band finds comfort in a small cafe run by Dina, a strikingly beautiful, tough-talking Israeli woman played with mastery by Ronit Elkabetz. The band's journey takes an unexpected turn when their leader, Tewfiq, a seemingly repressed and controlling character - crafted with subtlety by Sasson Gabai - agrees to spend the night at the cafe owner's home.
Water Cooler Buzz: This bittersweet film perfectly dusted with humor reveals opposites merging in the most unexpected ways. It is built with contrasts, sublime contrasts that appear in every aspect of the film: the band's ornate sapphire blue uniforms set against the monochrome desert; the band wandering through the vast emptiness of the Israeli desert evoking the richness of their Egyptian culture; the stoic bandleader determined to preserve classical Egyptian music who also collects Chet Baker records and sings with a voice that will melt your heart. Underneath the surface of the powerful and mature Israeli café owner, is a child eager to play. The Band's Visit reveals itself with stark beauty as its opposing forces begin to merge.
The film set off a frenzy for buyers in multiple territories following a standing ovation at its Cannes screening. -MPM
Image at top: Writer/Director Eran Kolirin
| 
