The Band's Visit (Bikur Ha-Tizmoret)
Finally, this much-anticipated film has reached our shores. Be thankful that it found its way here, unlike the hapless Police Ceremonial Band of Alexandria who, in The Band’s Visit, gets lost whilst on the way to Petah Tiqvah, in Israel, where they have been booked to perform at an official function.
An amalgam of pride and miscommunication leaves them stranded in a desolate town called Beit Hatikva – a remote outpost, offering little more than an apartment block surrounded by sandy wasteland. The locals are served by a shopping centre comprising one or two shabby buildings, and a café with an al fresco area that overlooks a seldom-used roadway and the barren expanses beyond. Amusingly, even the town residents are underwhelmed by their surroundings.
The Egyptian band members don’t speak Hebrew, and the Israelis don’t speak Arabic. But they will come to understand each other, in more ways than one.
It hardly seems fair that The Band’s Visit was denied entry into the foreign language category of the Academy Awards. Apparently more than fifty per cent of the dialogue is in English. However, it’s usually stilted, and the reason the characters resort to English is because it serves as a linguistic middle ground. These are people who are grappling to be understood; here, language is a symbol of the confounded relationship that exists between these noble cultures.
A scene in a house where local residents have billeted a few of the band members, is as touching as it is humorous. Director Erin Kolirin isn’t afraid to show that these people view each other suspiciously and he doesn’t shy away from comically lingering on their conspicuous awkwardness.
Fortunately, there is a truly universal language: music. Tewfiq, the stern and autocratic bandleader, is naturally suited to conducting; young Haled’s irreverence is symbolized by his jazz leanings; and then there’s the unassuming Simon, who harbours futile yearnings to conduct the Band. His fellow band members scoff at this, as well as the concerto that he has been writing for years, but which remains unfinished. Significantly, it is one of the Israeli townspeople who perceives the deeper meaning of Simon’s never-ending project, and offers some simple but sage advice.
The soundtrack is augmented by the repeated rickety meter of the Band members’ trolley wheels clickety-clacking on concrete as they wander from one place to the next: an enchantingly Tatiesque touch. The magic of this film is its sheer restraint: it is suffused with understated charm.
What a promising feature début from Kolirin: a whimsically humorous and moving piece with a universally strong cast. Beneath the engaging story and winsome characters, lies a cogent reminder that no matter which county or culture we hail from, deep down, we are all the same, and that rich experiences can indeed spring from the most seemingly austere of environments. The Band’s Visit is a gentle but extremely memorable experience.