Room 514 (2012)

In this disturbing, realistic debut a determined young female soldier interrogates an officer. Contrary to her colleagues' advice she accuses him of beating up an Arab family. She ... See full summary »

Director:

Sharon Bar-Ziv

Writer:

Sharon Bar-Ziv

Stars:

Asia Naifeld, Ohad Hall, Guy Kapulnik

2 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Asia Naifeld	...	Anna
Ohad Hall	...	Erez
Guy Kapulnik	...	Nimrod
Udi Persi	...	Davidi
Rafi Kalmar	...	General Major
Hilly Israel	...	Michali
Oren Farage	...	Officer

Storyline

In this disturbing, realistic debut a determined young female soldier interrogates an officer. Contrary to her colleagues' advice she accuses him of beating up an Arab family. She perseveres against the abuse of power in the army. A female Israeli soldier is ordered to interrogate an Israeli officer who is alleged to have abused an Arab family. Lower in rank and also a woman, she is barely taken seriously by the haughty man; he only gives her sarcastic answers. Her colleagues, including her lover, advise her to stop the case - because it is too political, too complex and too notorious. Instead, she fastens her teeth in it, in the hope of getting justice for the victims. In the meantime she has the thumbscrews tightened by her lover and his intended. All the interrogations take place in room 514, where the sound palette is formed only by voices and the air conditioning. Room 514 is a courageous, hyper-realistic, low-budget drama that provides a worrying and critical picture of Israeli ...

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Plot Keywords:

drinking coffee | interrogation | woman crying | extreme close up | accusation | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

Israel

Language:

Hebrew Russian

Release Date:

25 October 2012 (Israel)

Also Known As:

Room 514

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cinema Alpha Productions, Israel Film Fund

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Color:

Color Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

References Peeping Toms (1972)

User Reviews

An explosive film

'Room 514' blows up in the face of Israel's 68 year occupation of the Palestinians on the West Bank. The narrative is straightforward: a female military interrogator interviews two soldiers from an elite division that has abused civilian Palestinians. Anna is young woman finishing her military service; she finds her last assignment a challenge. She has mind of her own, and sees her mission in the IDF as an upholder to its principles of right and wrong. Her commander and feckless lover Ezer tells her to close the case. He sees in a flash that it will do her future no good if she doesn't go with the flow. But her doesn't know her: she has a strong will and a depth to her moral center, and won't give up her interrogation. Room 514 has a setting that is claustrophobic, dense and conceived to break the will of those interrogated. It has a flatness and a greyness that Anna and Ezer's lovemaking cannot bring out bright colors. She slyly has Nimrud give up his commander Davidi. Davidi is brash and acerbic. His language is menacing and her wears his contempt in the same manner he does his stripes of an commander. Anna is unfazed by his bravado and he cracks and confesses. He kills himself leaving a suicide note. It is his apologia pro sua viata for taking his life: his career is based on sheer violence to keep Palestinians whom he regards as less than human in their place. Davidi cracks on the unremmiting pressure to use terror to keep a people under Zionist control as the Israeli elite steals their land through illegal settlement of Jewish colonists. And it is this open secret that makes Bar Ziv's film exceptional and challenging to Israel's myth that Jews are a people occupying a land without people. As the narrative winds to its end, a major general swaggers into Room 514 threatening Anna for exposing a 'Waffen' bridge he created with the sole purpose of keeping the conquered Palestinians in their place through sheer, unwavering violence. Yet Anna is beyond intimidation as she hands him Davidi's suicide note. We can only surmise that his death puts this elite division in the dock. Exit in a huff the general, Anna sits quietly awaiting her fate as the film ends. In a simple setting, Bar Ziv has indicted Israel's occupation. It never occurs that Israeli violence would not give birth or Palestinian resistance or that Palestinians are people alive and of blood and flesh, not animals, not subhumans. Alas, in the US this film wont get much play, now as the sands of geopolitics are shifting away from Israel and Saudi Arab as the US looks to newer partner to maintain a balance of power and its influence. If anything, 'Room 514' is a good example of Israeli cinema at its height!