BUNGAY FILM CLUB NEXT SCREENING
Hi All, Splendid to see such a good crowd for 35 SHOTS.
Hope you enjoyed your evening, and that our muddle with the subtitles and aspect ratio didn’t spoil your enjoyment of the film.
Look forward to seeing you at our next screening on Monday 29 November 2010 at 7.30 pm.
THE BAND’S VISIT (12 A)
Director: Eran Kolirin. Starring: Sasson Gabai, Saleh Bakri, Ronit Elkabetz. Israel/France 2006. 87 minutes. In Arabic and Hebrew with English subtitles.
This charming first feature has won the hearts of audiences wherever it has played. It tells the story of a small Egyptian police band that comes to Israel in the early nineties to perform in Petach Tikva. When no one turns up to meet them they take matters into their own hands, but wind up stranded in the similarly named Beitha Tikva on the night of the Shabbat, with no transport expected until the following day. Fortunately Dina, the owner of the local café, takes them under her wing. During this strange night, everyone comes to learn more about each other, but also about themselves.
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. The Arabic-Hebrew credit roll gives you some idea of writer-director Kolirin’s ambition. – Andrew Pulver in The Guardian.
This may be a small film but it is almost perfectly formed and by no means just a pleasant work in a minor key. The more you think about it, the more truthful, and thus important, it seems. I cannot imagine anyone not enjoying it. – Derek Malcolm in The Evening Standard.
