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Star Review

A Film Festival regular in 2006 (presented at Tribecca, Los Angeles and Berlin), writer-directors Bilu and Hagar’s film is an understated drama centring around the unlikely friendship between two 18 year-old female soldiers on patrol in Jerusalem.

At first, outgoing and rebellious Smadar has little time for introverted, frightened Mirit, but, thrown together and assigned to patrol the streets as part of their compulsory military service, both girls develop a kinship from shared experience and responsibility.
As the writer-directors have stated, the film is about ‘two 18 year-olds who are busy with their own worlds – falling in love, break-ups, friendship – in an attempt to ignore the political reality that slowly makes its way into their lives.’

Having served in a military unit herself, co-director Bilu certainly brings a palpable sense of authenticity to a film which is essentially low-key in its formal approach despite moments of intense drama. The directors also deftly avoid political heavy-handedness, offering instead a sensitive examination of the difficulties for both sides on the Middle East divide

Pasquale Iannone on 13th June 2007

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Film Description

Smadar and Mirit, both 18 years old, are assigned to patrol the streets of Jerusalem together as part of their military service. Worlds apart in personality, their initially frosty relationship changes to friendship as they deal with their own emotional issues, the crushes and break-ups in their love lives, as well as the political reality of the city they live in.

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DVD Extras

• Televised Q&A with directors at preview screening held at Everyman cinema
• Theatrical trailer.

Film Details

Cast

Naama Shendar, Smadar Sayar, Dani Geva, Irit Suki

Technical Details