Title: The Band’s Visit
Genre: Drama, Comedy
Year: 2007
Cast: Sasson Gabai, Ronit Elkabetz, Khalifa Natour, Uri Gavriel, Saleh Bakri
Directed by: Eran Kolirin
Written by: Eran Kolirin
Produced by: Eilon Ratzkovsky, Ehud Bleiberg, Koby Gal-Raday, Guy Jacoel, Yossi Uzrad
Co-Produced by: Sophie Dulac, Michel Zana
Origin: Israel, France
Language(s): Arabic, Hebrew, English
Awards/Festivals: WINNER: Coup de Couer – Cannes Film Festival; WINNER: Best Actor, Best Discovery – European Film Awards; and 30+ other international festival awards
External Links: Indiewire Interview with Eran Kolirin
Territories Available: Contact sales team
“A marvelous, global charmer. Light and welcome as a bouquet of balloons.” -Lisa Schwartzman, Entertainment Weekly
“Very funny. One of the best films of the year.” -Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun Times
This heartwarming and poignant winner of the Cannes Film Festival Un Certain Regard prize is the mesmerizing and witty story of strangers in a strange land. A fading Egyptian police band arrives in Israel to play at the Arab Cultural Center. When they take the wrong bus, the band members find themselves in a desolate Israeli village. With no other option than to spend the night with the local townspeople, the two distinctly different cultures realize the universal bonds of love, music and life. Set against a breathtaking desert landscape, this cross-cultural comedy proves that getting lost is sometimes the best way to find yourself.
U.S. Release by Sony Pictures Classics