Bethlehem (2013)

Tells the story of the complex relationship between an Israeli Secret Service officer and his teenage Palestinian informant. Shuttling back and forth between conflicting points of view, the... See full summary »

Director:

Yuval Adler

Writers:

Yuval Adler, Ali Wakad

Stars:

Tsahi Halevi, Shadi Mar'i, Hitham Omari

9 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tsahi Halevi	...	Razi
Shadi Mar'i	...	Sanfur
Hitham Omari	...	Badawi
Michal Shtamler	...	Einat
Tarik Kopty	...	Abu Ibrahim
George Iskandar	...	Nasser (as George Iskandar)
Yossi Eini	...	Levy
Efrat Shnap	...	Maya
Karem Shakur	...	Abu Mussa
Ibrahim Saqallah	...	Tayson
Afif Shalyut
Adel Abou Raya
Irad Rubinstain	...	Army Officer (as Irad Rubenstein)
Ramez Badir
Dudu Niv	...	Shefler

Storyline

Tells the story of the complex relationship between an Israeli Secret Service officer and his teenage Palestinian informant. Shuttling back and forth between conflicting points of view, the film is a raw portrayal of characters torn apart by competing loyalties and impossible moral dilemmas, giving an unparalleled glimpse into the dark and fascinating world of human intelligence.

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Plot Keywords:

informant | palestinian | israeli secret service | year 2005 | hit with a stone | 

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Taglines:

When you are playing both sides, who do you trust?

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller

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Details

Country:

Israel Germany Belgium

Language:

Hebrew Arabic

Release Date:

26 September 2013 (Israel)

Also Known As:

Bethléem

Company Credits

Production Co:

Centre du Cinéma et de l'Audiovisuel de la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, Entre Chien et Loup, Gringo Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Official submission of Israel to the Oscars 2014 best foreign language film category.

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Goofs

The last scene, when he smashed the Israeli officer's head with a rock, we can see that there is no blood spatters on it, however on the next shot, while he is sitting apart we can see the blood marks.

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Connections

Referenced in Eretz Nehederet: Episode #11.8 (2014)

User Reviews

BYOP (Bring Your Own Politics)

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.