Moviola > Films > The Band's Visit

The Band's Visit  (Bikur Ha-Tizmoret )

(12A)   87 mins

Once, not long ago, a small Egyptian Police Band arrived in Israel.  They came to play at an initiation ceremony but, due to bureaucracy, bad luck, or for whatever reason, they were left stranded at the airport.  They tried to manage on their own, only to find themselves in a desolate, almost forgotten, Israeli town, somewhere in the heart of the desert.  A lost band in a lost town.  Not many people remember this.  It wasn't that important.

"A gentle, unpretentious comedy that posits a why-can't-we-just-get-along approach to the Arab-Israeli conflict. An Egyptian police orchestra is stranded in a dusty desert town; thrown on the mercy of their Israeli hosts, awkwardness evolves into mutual affection. It's powered by excellent performances - just the right side of deadpan - and never gets remotely preachy."   Andrew Pulver

"A beautifully controlled piece, it marks the impressive debut of director and screenwriter Eran Kolirin, who handles the delicate shades of politics with subtle tones. "  Jason Solomons

"A film of quiet intensity, hard edged charm and surprising revelations, The Band's Visit straddles comedy and drama with ease as it peers into the hearts and minds of a random group of people thrown together by fate. The undercurrents of cultural difference are superbly streamlined in a screenplay that finds the humanity in all its characters, letting them guide the story into credible riffs on the human condition."  Urban Cinefile
 

www.thebandsvisit.com

Last modified: 06-Mar-2009

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