Kedma

2002 Drama

Israeli filmmaker Amos Gitai directed this historical drama based on a true story of the conflict between Jewish refugees and Palestinians on the eve of the formation of the nation of Israel. On May 7, 1948, a freight ship, the Kedma, arrived on the coast of Palestine, carrying a load of Jewish refugees from Europe who had survived concentration camps in several nations. A few days later, the state of Israel would be created, but at the time, the passengers of the Kedma found themselves in the midst of a war, as they were greeted by British gunfire on one side, while on the other the Jewish underground army known as the Palmach stood by to defend them. The Palmach took many of the Kedma's refugees into hiding, while the rest were given weapons and asked to fight alongside the Palmach against the British and Palestinians. Over the next several days, the Palestinians and their British allies find themselves fighting with the Palmach soldiers and the Jewish refugees while interacting with one another as both sides realize how close and how far away they truly are. The cast includes Roman Hazanowski, Menachem Lang, Juliano Mer, Yussef Abu Warda, and Andrei Kashkar. more..

Director: Amos Gitai

Starring: Menachem Lang, Dalia Shachaf, Liron Levo, Gal Altschuler, Helena Yaralova

Reviews

  • Gitai uses fictionalized characters to dramatize historical reality, and while minimalist in its presentation, the film becomes nearly operatic in its intensity.

    Ken Fox - TV Guide

    23 May 2013

  • The drama makes up in intellectual weight what it sometimes lacks in psychological interest and cinematic realism.

    David Sterritt - Christian Science Monitor

    23 May 2013

  • A largely dull history lesson...stripped of any backgrounding, peopled with archetypes rather than fully-drawn characters, and features self-consciously arty direction that gets in the way of story-telling.

    Derek Elley - Variety

    23 May 2013

  • But for all its provocation, Kedma is an often dull, incoherent film, and its characters remain frustratingly sketchy

    Stephen Holden - The New York Times

    23 May 2013

  • Mesmerizingly bad filmmaking.

    J. Hoberman - Village Voice

    23 May 2013

Awards

  • Best Costume Design

    Awards of the Israeli Film Academy (2002)

  • Best Film

    Bangkok International Film Festival (2003)

     
  • Amos Gitai

    Cannes Film Festival (2002)

     
  • Amos Gitai

    Louisville Jewish Film Festival (2003)

  • Best Film

    São Paulo International Film Festival (2002)