Campfire (2004)

The story of one woman's personal battle for acceptance, but also a portrait of a political movement that has forever affected millions of lives in the Middle East.

Director:

Joseph Cedar

Writer:

Joseph Cedar

Stars:

Michaela Eshet, Hani Furstenberg, Moshe Ivgy

8 wins & 10 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Michaela Eshet	...	Rachel Gerlik
Hani Furstenberg	...	Tami Gerlik
Moshe Ivgy	...	Yossi
Maya Maron	...	Esti
Assi Dayan	...	Motkeh
Oshri Cohen	...	Rafi
Yehoram Gaon	...	Moshe Weinstock
Yehuda Levi	...	Yoel
Avi Grainik	...	Oded
Idit Teperson	...	Shula (as Edith Teperson)
Itay Turgeman	...	Gozlan
Barak Lizork	...	Yaniv
Danny Zahavi	...	Ilan
Dina Senderson	...	Inbal
Ofer Seker	...	Yair

Storyline

Israeli Rachel Gerlik has been widowed for one year. Despite not ever having loved her husband, she feels she now needs to move on with her life. She plans to sell his car, which has not been touched in that year. She starts dating again, solely on blind dates set up by her friend Shula Kupfer, first with the insecure Yossi Moraly and then with renowned cantor Moshe Weinstock. Most importantly in Rachel's plan is to be accepted into the founding group of a new ideologically-based West Bank settlement yet to be built, the acceptance committee chaired by Shula's husband, Motkeh Kupfer, considered one of the most important figures in religious Zionism. She has many factors working against her in being accepted, most specifically there not being a man in the household. Regardless, Rachel and her family are accepted on a trial basis. Her family consists of two teen-aged daughters, Esti and Tami, both who believe that their mother has lost touch with the realities of their lives, especially...

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Plot Keywords:

west bank | settlement | youth group | widow | israeli | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

official site [Israel] (Hebrew, English)

Country:

Israel

Language:

Hebrew English

Release Date:

9 September 2005 (USA)

Also Known As:

Campfire

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cinema Post Production Ltd.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

As a teenager, many of Cedar's friends moved to Israeli settlements along the West Bank. Although Cedar was part of a religious, Zionist family, his own parents never joined the settlements, which Cedar was disappointed about at that age. Growing up, he felt that his friends were joining a historical movement, and that his own parents weren't adventurous enough to take part.

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Goofs

When Rachel comes home after her meeting with the founding committee, when Tammy has locked herself in her room and Rachel is talking to Esti in the Living Room, the shots of Rachel show her with her hands cupped over the top of a soda pop bottle, but the shots of Esti (from behind Rachel) show Rachel's hands cupped on her knapsack on the table.

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Quotes

[subtitled version]
Yossi Moraly: I know you're waiting for someone better than me. I can even understand it. I just want you to know that I love you. I think you're a very special woman.
[there is a long silence]
Yossi Moraly: It's okay. You don't have to answer me. Good night.
Rachel Gerlik: Good night.
[Rachel turns to walk away then stops]
Rachel Gerlik: I'm not waiting for someone better than you. Don't even say that. You're the nicest person I've ever met.
Yossi Moraly: So what are you waiting for?
Rachel Gerlik: I don't know. I'm waiting to fall in love. I'm 42 years old and ...
[...]

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Connections

Features Mivtsa Yonatan (1977)

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Soundtracks

Hashmal Zorem Be-Chapot Yadecha
Lyrics by Yoram Taharlev
Music by Nurit Hirsch
Arranged by Jonathan Bar-Giora
Performed by Riki Gal

User Reviews

Great Film with a political background

I've just seen the second screening of this film at the berlinale.joseph cedar is hardly known at all in germany and so i thought i'd seen one of these first'n'nice-but-well... movies - and was caught off guard. the movie tell the story of three women (mother and two daughters) living in the israel of 1981.the mother is a widow since one year and the film shows how she and her daughters cope with the situation. so the story sounds simple but the mr. cedar has found a really good way of waving backgrounds around it. as there are the settlements-movement and the male dominated society. he really manages to give an impression of a society by showing people act and live in this society.

one of the best movies i saw in months!!