FROM ISRAEL THE BAND'S VISIT
SHOWTIMES
Almost every culture has enshrined the concept of hospitality. The idea that guests, even if they are strangers, should be treated with courtesy and generosity. When the guest is a past enemy, it can be challenging, but also more rewarding. Israeli filmmaker Eran Kolirin’s The Band’s Visit is a gentle and heartfelt tale of kindness overcoming suspicion. The setting is a desolate Israeli desert town. The inhabitants are surprised when eight Egyptian men in military uniforms step off the cross-country bus. Although they may look like military men, they are actually musicians: the Alexandria Ceremonial Police Orchestra. Led by their stern conductor, Tawfiq, the band is on their way to play at an Arab cultural center. Bad directions and poor knowledge of Hebrew have left them stranded in this nondescript town that nonetheless feels like hostile territory. They are also hungry, tired, and short on Israeli cash. The stoic Tawfiq is determined not to call the Egyptian consulate for help, and instead reluctantly turns to the inhabitants for assistance. Dina, the manager of a small restaurant, impulsively decides to accept their Egyptian money as payment for a meal. Fascinated by Tawfiq’s reserved manner, and pleased that something is actually happening in this dead-end town, Dina takes the band under her wing. Since the town is too small to have a hotel, the band members are dispersed to various private homes. As day dissolves into evening, everyone finds themselves suddenly thrown together with foreigners. By daybreak, secrets – both joyous and sad – have been revealed, and lives have changed in quietly surprising ways. Alternately funny, sad, and hopeful, The Band’s Visit is a moving story about what can happen when you open yourself up to strangers who prove not to be so strange after all. –Dylan Skolnick
Israel, 2007, 89 min., In Arabic, Hebrew, & English with English subtitles • Writer/Director: Eran Kolirin • Cast: Sasson Gabai, Ronit Elkabetz, Saleh Bakri • Cannes Film Festival, Toronto Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival
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