THE BAND’S VISIT

Arab-Israeli relations is not the first place you’d look for comedy, but this is one of the loveliest and funniest films I’ve seen in ages. When a traditional Egyptian police band comes to Israel and ends up stranded in a remote desert town, they reluctantly accept the hospitality of the locals. In broken English, the Egyptians and Israelis spend a sometimes uncomfortable, sometimes hilarious and ultimately touching night together, during which many of the assumptions they have about each other are challenged. The elephant in the room is the conflict, but when they leave there is much more linking them than keeping them apart. Featuring Israeli and Palestinian actors, the film was Official Selection Un Certain Regard at Cannes 2007. I can’t recommend it highly enough. (Lachlan Jobbins)