BETHLEHEM (2013) - ♦♦♦♦

Directed by - Yuval Adler

Written by - Yuval Adler, Ali Wakad

Starring - Tsahi Halevi, Shadi Mar'i

"The Israeli Palestinian conflict is always a hot and controversial topic to be dealing with. Yuval’s choice of dealing with it for his first film reveals him as quite ambitious and audacious. Betlehem is the story of three men who are caught in the middle of the storm; a man from the Israeli Secret Service, a leader of the Palestinian militants and an informant who is emotionally attached to both sides by friendship and family.

Adler’s film is a powerful spy thriller, yet it has nothing to do with the conventional perception of the genre, particularly in its realistic approach that refuses to sugarcoat the cultural context of the story. Betlehem is also admirable for its refusal to pick sides or make major political statements choosing instead to focus on the emotional side of the story and the intensity of the characters as individuals.

While some may still find the inevitable political implications a little uneasy, Betlehem is a remarkably powerful work."

Drama, Israel/Germany/Belgium