Zaytoun
Starring: Stephen Dorff, Abdallah El Akal, Alice Taglioni
Director: Eran Riklis
Rating: 4/5
Zaytoun plays in the Debate category at the BFI London Film Festival and marks the return to the director’s chair for filmmaker Eran Riklis.
Beirut 1982: Yoni, an Israeli pilot crash lands in the city and is captured by a group of fighters from the Palestine Liberation Organisation.
One of the group is a young orphan so is desperate to return to his home in Palestine to plant a tree that his father was growing before he was killed in an attack on the city.
Yoni and Fahed are soon on the run and a bond grows between them as they fight to find their way home.
Sure the opening of Zaytoun is a war movie that looks at the longstanding fight between Israel and Palestine but it develops into so much more.
What looks set to be a straight look at a war between these two sides is turned on its head by director Riklis and instead he tells a tale that shines a little bit of a light on this conflict.
Zaytoun turns into a road movie that follows a developing relationship between two enemies in what becomes an incredibly charming and funny journey.
Stephen Dorff gives another very good performance but he does take a little bit of a back seat to Abdallah El Akal - who really is an exciting young talent.
It is a completely absorbing performance from Akal as a young boy who is scarred by war and brought up to hate the enemy.
The character goes on a journey of not only self discovery but also a journey that sees him learn about life and the world - not to mention that the enemy may also be more than what they seem.
There is a real chemistry between Dorff and Akal and the scenes that they share really are the best in the movie - they also provide some of the really humours moments.
The movie is visually stunning as it was shot in Israel and shows a land that is deeply scarred by the war and it gives the movie a very authentic feel.
And while this movie may not be completely about war Riklis has not been afraid to show the devastating effect that the war has had on the next generation - a great example of this is the list of the dead that Fahed keeps in a school notebook.
Zaytoun strikes a perfect balance between showing the devastation of war as well as finding more of a positive message.
The acting is spot on and while this is a movie that is dotted with emotion it never strays into over sentimentality.
Zaytoun is one of the most charming movies that is on show at the London Film Festival this year and it really is a movie that is not to be missed.
The BFI London Film Festival runs 10 - 21 October
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw
Tagged in BFI