The Band's Visit (2007) Bikur Ha-Tizmoret (original title)

Director:

Eran Kolirin

Writer:

Eran Kolirin

Release Date:

13 September 2007 (Israel)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Music

Tagline:

Once-not long ago-a small Egyptian police band arrived in Israel. Not many remember this...It wasn't that important.

Plot:

A band comprised of members of the Egyptian police force head to Israel to play at the inaugural ceremony of an Arab arts center, only to find themselves lost in the wrong town.

Plot Keywords:

Band | Israel | Police | Egyptian | Egypt

Awards:

46 wins & 13 nominations

Cast

Sasson Gabai	...	Lieutenant-colonel Tawfiq Zacharya
Ronit Elkabetz	...	Dina
Saleh Bakri	...	Haled
Khalifa Natour	...	Simon
Rubi Moskovitz	...	Itzik
Uri Gavriel	...	Avrum
Imad Jabarin	...	Major-general Camal Abdel Azim
Hilla Sarjon	...	Iris
Shlomi Avraham	...	Papi
Tarik Kopty	...	Iman (as Tarak Kopty)
Rinat Matatov	...	Yula
Tomer Yosef	...	Ars
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ahuva Keren	...	Lea
François Khell	...	Makram
Hisham Khoury	...	Fauzi
Eyad Sheety	...	Saleh

Directed by
Eran Kolirin

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Eran Kolirin

Produced by
Ehud Bleiberg	....	producer
Sophie Dulac	....	co-producer
Koby Gal-Raday	....	producer
Guy Jacoel	....	producer
Eylon Ratzkovsky	....	producer
Yossi Uzrad	....	producer
Michel Zana	....	co-producer

Original Music by
Habib Shadah

Cinematography by
Shai Goldman

Film Editing by
Arik Leibovitch

Casting by
Orit Azoulay

Production Design by
Eitan Levi

Costume Design by
Doron Ashkenazi

Makeup Department
Maya Grastal	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Tami Kushnir	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Michal Koren	....	third assistant director
Yochanan Kredo	....	first assistant director
Lihi Levin	....	third assistant director
Ya'ara Lipkin	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Yosi Dahari	....	assistant art director
Or Ozrad	....	set dresser
Nikolai Yosifov	....	property master

Sound Department
Israel David	....	sound re-recording mixer
Itai Elohev	....	sound
Idan Rawet	....	foley editor
Gil Segal	....	foley artist
Gil Segal	....	foley editor
Alon Shapira	....	boom operator
Gil Toren	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Yigal Arobus	....	grip
Elad Elbar	....	grip
Joseph Lachmish	....	grip
Yuval Landsberg	....	lighting technician
Uri Lipshin	....	lighting technician
Salvatore Lista	....	camera operator
Roi Mano	....	key grip
Guy Ne'eman	....	key grip
Idan Or	....	assistant camera
Lior Pery	....	gaffer
David Rudoy	....	second assistant camera
Daniel Solomon	....	lighting technician
Adam Verete	....	electrician

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Edan Galit	....	key costumer

Editorial Department
Ádám Halász	....	rushes colorist

Other crew
Szabolcs Barta	....	film grading
Marc Feytout	....	press attache: France
Nadav Gopher	....	location manager
Laurette Monconduit	....	press attache: France

Thanks
Shannon Banal	....	thanks
Nicholas Donnermeyer	....	thanks (as Nick Donnermeyer)

Production Companies

• July August Productions
• Bleiberg Entertainment
• Sophie Dulac Productions
• Israel Film Fund
• Keshet Broadcasting
• Yes

Distributors

• Sony Pictures Releasing (2007) (worldwide) (theatrical)
• AK Entertainment (2008) (South Korea) (theatrical)
• Alfa Films (2008) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Audio Visual Enterprises (2007) (Greece) (theatrical)
• Concorde Filmverleih (2008) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Husets Biograf (2008) (Denmark) (theatrical)
• Madman Entertainment (2007) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Madman Entertainment (2007) (New Zealand) (theatrical)
• Magyarhangya (2010) (Hungary) (theatrical)
• Manga Films (2007) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Mikado (2007) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Nikkatsu (2008) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Paradiso Entertainment (2008) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Seville Pictures (2008) (Canada) (theatrical) (French)
• Sony Pictures Classics (2007) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Sophie Dulac Distribution (2007) (France) (theatrical)
• Sundream Motion Pictures (2008) (Hong Kong) (theatrical)
• Swen do Brasil (2007) (Brazil) (theatrical)
• Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Finland (2008) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Weinstein Company, The (2008) (China) (theatrical)
• Xenix Filmdistribution (2007) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• EuroVideo (2008) (Germany) (DVD)
• IPA Asia Pacific (2009) (Taiwan) (all media)
• Paradiso Home Entertainment (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Paradiso Home Entertainment (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2008) (Canada) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (2008) (Argentina) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Dolby Laboratories  sound post-production

Also Known As:

"Bikur Ha-Tizmoret" - Israel (original title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for brief strong language

Runtime:

87 min

Country:

Israel | USA | France

Language:

Hebrew | Arabic | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:PG-13 | Canada:PG | South Korea:12 | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | Germany:o.Al. | France:U | Singapore:NC-16 | Finland:S | Hong Kong:IIA | Ireland:12A | Argentina:Atp | Australia:M | New Zealand:M | Iceland:L | Sweden:Btl | Portugal:M/12

Filming Locations:

Yeruham, Negev Desert, Israel

Company:

July August Productions

Trivia:

The movie was selected to be Israel's Official Submission to the Best Foreign Language Film Category of The 80th Annual Academy Awards (2008) (TV), but it was disqualified by AMPAS because more than 50% of the film's dialogue was found to be in English, as opposed to Arabic and Hebrew. After an unsuccessful appeal, Israel sent Beaufort (2007) instead.

Goofs:

Continuity: When speaking in Arabic, Tawfiq pronounces some words with the Egyptian Arabic pronunciation, and some words with the Palestinian Arabic pronunciation. Being an Egyptian, he should talk in Egyptian Arabic dialect all the time.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Sharon Amrani: Remember His Name (2010)

Soundtrack:

My Funny Valentine

What a surprisingly fab movie

As a dedicated husband of a BAFTA voting member, we trawl through 100+ DVD's at this time of year. The Hollywood movies all blur into muchness, but then this film comes along without any fancy marketing blurb, no fancy box, just a DVD in a plastic sleeve. We put it in and said we would give it 10 minutes, and spent the next 100 minutes or so spellbound and laughing our socks off! The acting was simply wonderful, the comic situations and timing were redolent of "The Office", and the political analogies were intriguing, The soundtrack was the best of any 2007 movie imho. It gets our nomination for Best Film, Best Direction, Best Editing, Best Soundtrack, with further nominations for the "Dina" and "Tewfiq" actors plus a vote for others in the band in the supporting actor category.

Try to see it if you can!