Belém: Zona de Conflito

I was lucky enough to attend the TIFF premiere of "Bethlehem" and I was blown away. In the past 10 or so years, the Israeli film world has boomed and seen rise to several internationally acclaimed films. It wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if "Bethlehem" joined the ranks of "Waltz with Bashir", "Ajami", and "Footnote" on that list of globally celebrated modern Israeli movies. Each aspect of this film was crafted with such poise and precision, it carried itself with the majesty that only a truly talented filmmaker could give it. Yuval Adler's incomparable debut at the helm of a motion picture is so incredible that I have to personally thank him for the pleasure of watching his film. It was a privilege to have lived within it's walls. Bethlehem is the story of the relationship between an Israeli secret service officer and his informant, the fiery younger brother of the head of a Palestinian militia. As their relationship wanes and waxes to the tunes of perfectly paced military action sequences and beautifully scripted emotive developments, it becomes clear that this is no ordinary movie. It's as much of a political commentary as it is a story. Yuval Adler and Ali Waked's incredible script leads the audience through the winding story of the Israel-Palestinian conflict. They lead us through the maze of violence, through the maze of political and social uproar and arrive at an ultimate conclusion. No one will win if things continue this way. Both sides must step back and look at their actions and see what they are causing. Both sides must put their arms down for a moment. If things continue as violently as they are, no one will win. It's a film that doesn't take sides. The Israelis are seen at times through the eyes of a Palestinian, a bully-like entity smashing walls with trucks, forcing their grip on the Palestinians. The Palestinians are seen at times through the eyes of an Israeli, as violent and explosive terrifying militants who aren't afraid to kill to claim the entire land for themselves. At the end of the film, though, everyone is naked. Everyone looks so human it's saddening. It's enough of an emotional punch to leave a lump in the audiences throat. It's enough to think, what is this fighting for? "Bethlehem" doesn't denounce supporting a side, but it does stress to learn more about each side before the support is given to them. It should be targeted towards high-school age and older students. People that are just beginning to pull back the veil on the social and political landscape. "Bethlehem"'s message and delivery is perfect. Incredible performances by all facets of the film. It will be a terrible crime if this film is not up for the Best Foreign Language Oscar. One of the best foreign films I have ever seen. It was a pleasure to experience and I will cherish this movie for a long time to come.

The first scene involves some Palestinian boys engaged in an updated version of "chicken" in the desert outside of Jerusalem. Instead of some teenagers in the 1950's driving their cars off some embankment as in "Rebel without a Cause", these boys are using semi-automatic weapons and a rather worn "bullet-proof" vest. The main character of the film, Sanfur (played by Shadi Mar'i in completely convincing performance), is a Palestinian teenager who dons the vest and instructs his fellow peers to shoot him, if they have the guts. This is a game but a very brutal one. When some of the adults appear on the scene, the kids scatter. But I think the point is the adults are playing at the same brutal game, daring each other to fire at one another.

The film involves three groups: two militia groups of Palestinians who are somewhat at odds with each other, Hamas and the Palestinian Authority, and their common enemy, the Israels. Sanfur is literally caught between all three who seem to be playing a very deadly game of tug-of-war. His family is sympathetic to the Palestinian Authority but he socializes with people in Hamas, the more radical of the two. At the same time, Sanfur is good friends with Razi (Tsahi Halevi in an equally compelling performance), who is in reality an Israeli agent. His agency's duty is to infiltrate the Palestinian regions near Jerusalem and Bethlehem and root out members of the Palestinian militia groups. While Ravi appears to be Sanfur's friend at one level, the Israeli is using the boy to obtain information about Hamas.

The conflict begins with a decision to hunt down and assassinate a Hamas leader name of Ibrahim, whom the Israelis have been chasing for a year but is also, unfortunately, Sanfur's brother. Sanfur finds himself caught between the radical Hamas leaders, his family which appear to be on the moderate side of the conflict, and Ravi the Israeli, who has become like a father-figure for the boy. Now the boy is torn between all these loyalties. The crucial moment of the film occurs when Sanfur forces Ravi to take a kind of test of friendship. Will he succeed or fail? Will the boy side with the Palestinian authority, Hamas or with the Israeli agent?

An incredibly compelling film, but a very dark one about the current hostilities between Israelis and Palestinians. The acting is outstanding, and I have read that some of the actors had never performed in a film before. The viewer feels as if he or she is with these people, almost spying on their conversations and actions. There is never a dull moment, but this is not that kind of film where the good guys and the bad guys are neatly spelled out for us.

It is not a political movie.

No positive, no negative of Arab/Jews conflict.

No left, no right its the Reality.

they Just made ​​an excellent film, good acting. Beautiful plot.

I loved the acting of Tsahi Halevi-"razi"- the agent, he was very good.

The action Scene are very good.

Excellent dialog. Who loved The Departed will love this movie.

the Viewer Continue to think about the movie after leaving the Cinema.

I enjoyed very much from the film.

Highly recommended.

Bethlehem (2013/I) is an Israeli film co-written and directed by Yuval Adler. It tells the story of a Palestinian adolescent, Sanfur (played by Shadi Mar'i) and his relationship with Razi, an Israeli intelligence officer (played by Tsahi Halevi).

Like the true situation in the region, this is a game without winners. Razi honestly cares about Sanfur, but this care should always be secondary to his real goal--finding the leaders of Hamas. Sanfur's brother is an important Hamas leader, so the plan is to have Sanfur lead the Israelis to the brother, who is the person they want to capture or kill.

As would be expected, nothing goes as planned. One horrible situation replaces another horrible situation. In fact, this is one of the few films I've seen where there is no quiet, safe moment. If I am remembering correctly, no one ever smiles or relaxes. (Razi's wife has the thankless role of telling him, "Be careful, Razi." We never get to see any real affection between them.)

I'm not an expert in the situation in the area, so I can't comment about the movie's authenticity. To my non-expert eye, the movie looked very realistic. Grim and realistic.

It's worth seeing this film because it is extremely well constructed and well acted. However, just watch it with the understanding that you won't leave the theater--or eject the DVD--in a happy frame of mind.

The movie will work well on DVD, but we were fortunate enough to see it on the large screen at the fine Dryden Theatre as part of the outstanding Rochester Jewish Film Festival.

There are no political discussions in BETHLEHEM, no messages about who has rights to the land or which nation has a case of self-defense against whom or how coexistence can be achieved. What's given is a situation in which the Arab streets are violently factionalized at least three ways, with little to distinguish among the factions-- except that Hamas does have the banner of religion, and the recognized political establishment does have the material comforts and connections. The main Israeli character is a runner of spies who is repeatedly warned that he's taking a dangerous gamble; the tension on his side is whether his methods will work for him or not. The tension for the main Arab character, a young spy working for Israel, is whether he can keep his head above water when it's one Arab faction against another and all of them against collaborators like him. The situation is laid out well and comprehensibly, and the tension mounts believably all the way through.