Pitted Olive: Riklis’ Period Piece Adventure a Sappy Fantasy
Israeli director Eran Riklis returns to familiar territory with Zaytoun, using another unlikely friendship scenario between a Palestinian and Israeli which he used to great effect in previous titles, such as the excellent 2008 film Lemon Tree. Broadening his international appeal with a well known American star, Riklis ends up making an overly sentimental film that tends to overstep the bounds of realism as he explores a distinct time period in early 80’s war torn Lebanon. While it’s not a wholly unlikeable film, there’s just a few too many out of place elements to make this anything more than a predictably tame tale.
It’s 1982 and there’s a war going on between Israel and Lebanon. In the years leading up to this, many Palestinian families lived as refugees in Beirut, but were segregated into camps, where they were hardly treated with respect.
Israeli director Eran Riklis returns to familiar territory with Zaytoun, using another unlikely friendship scenario between a Palestinian and Israeli which he used to great effect in previous titles, such as the excellent 2008 film Lemon Tree. Broadening his international appeal with a well known American star, Riklis ends up making an overly sentimental film that tends to overstep the bounds of realism as he explores a distinct time period in early 80’s war torn Lebanon. While it’s not a wholly unlikeable film, there’s just a few too many out of place elements to make this anything more than a predictably tame tale.
It’s 1982 and there’s a war going on between Israel and Lebanon. In the years leading up to this, many Palestinian families lived as refugees in Beirut, but were segregated into camps, where they were hardly treated with respect.
- 9/16/2013
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
It's been nearly a year since the drama Zaytoun premiered at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival, and the film is finally headed to Us theaters this fall after premiering in the UK late last year. An international trailer showed off the dramatic chops of Stephen Dorff in the the story of a young Palestinian refugee and an Israeli fighter pilot in Beirut in 1982 as they form a tentative bond in their attempt to make their way across war-torn Lebanon and back home. This trailer tries to drum up film enthusiast interest by touting the producer of The King's Speech, but hopefully the film speaks for itself. Here's the Us trailer for Eran Riklis' Zaytoun from Strand Releasing: Zaytoun is directed by Eran Riklis and written by first-time writer Nader Rizq The story follows an unlikely alliance between a 12-year-old Palestinian refugee and an Israeli fighter pilot shot down...
- 8/15/2013
- by Ethan Anderton
- firstshowing.net
After turning in a surprisingly great performance in Somewhere from director Sophia Coppola, Stephen Dorff is getting dramatic again in the war drama Zaytoun. The story follows a young Palestinian refugee and an Israeli fighter pilot in Beirut in 1982 as they form a tentative bond in their attempt to make their way across war-torn Lebanon and back to their home. The film first premiered at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival and actually was the runner-up prize for the People’s Choice Award and now a trailer is here. This looks like it could be a hidden gem, and a turn for Dorff that might get him awards attention. Watch! Here's the first trailer for Eran Riklis' Zaytoun from Artificial Eye Film: Zaytoun is directed by Eran Riklis and written by first-time writer Nader Rizq The story follows an unlikely alliance between a 12-year-old Palestinian refugee and an Israeli fighter...
- 12/21/2012
- by Ethan Anderton
- firstshowing.net
In case you’re not so familiar with this movie, don’t worry – we’re here to inform you that Zaytoun is an upcoming war drama which comes from director Eran Riklis and stars Stephen Dorff in the leading role. The movie was the runner-up for the People’s Choice Award at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, and the good news is that today we have a great trailer from the whole thing to share with you!
Eran Riklis directed the movie from a script written by Nader Rizq, which centers on an Israeli fighter pilot who is shot down over Lebanon and must make his way across the war-torn country with the aid of an angry young Palestinian boy. In other words – sometimes the only friend you have is your enemy.
As you already guess, Stephen Dorff plays that fighter pilot, while the rest of the cast includes Alice Taglioni,...
Eran Riklis directed the movie from a script written by Nader Rizq, which centers on an Israeli fighter pilot who is shot down over Lebanon and must make his way across the war-torn country with the aid of an angry young Palestinian boy. In other words – sometimes the only friend you have is your enemy.
As you already guess, Stephen Dorff plays that fighter pilot, while the rest of the cast includes Alice Taglioni,...
- 12/20/2012
- by Jeanne Standal
- Filmofilia
AFI Fest 2012 presented by Audi, a program of the American Film Institute, today announced the remaining sections and films that will screen in the festival.s World Cinema, Breakthrough, Midnight and Shorts programs. AFI Fest, which annually presents the best of world cinema in the movie capital of the world, will take place November 1 through 8 at the historic Grauman.s Chinese Theatre, the Chinese 6 Theatres, the Egyptian Theatre and the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.
World Cinema showcases the most anticipated and prize-winning international films of the year, Breakthrough highlights work discovered only through the submission process and Midnight.s selections are always haunting. Both World Cinema and Breakthrough feature a number of films making their North American or U.S. Premieres, including The Angels. Share, Greatest Hits, Laurence Anyways, Nairobi Half Life, Pieta, White Elephant and Zaytoun.
Two of the shorts in competition are from AFI Conservatory.s recent class of...
World Cinema showcases the most anticipated and prize-winning international films of the year, Breakthrough highlights work discovered only through the submission process and Midnight.s selections are always haunting. Both World Cinema and Breakthrough feature a number of films making their North American or U.S. Premieres, including The Angels. Share, Greatest Hits, Laurence Anyways, Nairobi Half Life, Pieta, White Elephant and Zaytoun.
Two of the shorts in competition are from AFI Conservatory.s recent class of...
- 10/16/2012
- by Melissa Thompson
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Today, AFI 2012 announced its complete lineup, after previously debuting its New Auteurs, Young Americans, Galas and Special Screenings we finally get a look at the Midnight, Breakthrough, Shorts, and deliriously good World Cinema Selections.
The Shorts section, with almost too many to count, features new work from Nacho Vigalando, Nicolas Provost, and even Shia Labeouf (Cannes selected), among many others. The four Midnight titles all played in Tiff 2012’s Midnight Madness selection, and here we see John Dies at the End making a stop here after originally premiering at Sundance. They’ve nabbed three North American premieres in their Breakthrough section, including Kid from Fien Troch, Nairobi Half Life from David Tosh Gitonga, and Oh Boy from Jan Ole Gerster. But AFI has managed to really impress with it’s World Cinema selections. Just as they nabbed Cannes premiere Holy Motors for their Special Screenings, they’ve nabbed several high...
The Shorts section, with almost too many to count, features new work from Nacho Vigalando, Nicolas Provost, and even Shia Labeouf (Cannes selected), among many others. The four Midnight titles all played in Tiff 2012’s Midnight Madness selection, and here we see John Dies at the End making a stop here after originally premiering at Sundance. They’ve nabbed three North American premieres in their Breakthrough section, including Kid from Fien Troch, Nairobi Half Life from David Tosh Gitonga, and Oh Boy from Jan Ole Gerster. But AFI has managed to really impress with it’s World Cinema selections. Just as they nabbed Cannes premiere Holy Motors for their Special Screenings, they’ve nabbed several high...
- 10/16/2012
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
The first week of press previews for the 56th London Film Festival came to a close with the first sampling of the Documentary competition via the powerful and disturbing West of Memphis. This was followed up with an unexpected participant in the “Love” strand, Ursula Meier’s Sister, which certainly presents a different notion of the concept. Rounding out the day’s (and the week’s) offerings was Zaytoun, a “Debate” film dealing with the ever-present Israel-Palestine conflict. A light-hearted day of laughs this most definitely was not, but the three films did provide much to discuss – London Film Fan
West of Memphis
Director Amy Berg condenses nearly 20 years of legal injustice and inept policing into this two-and-a-half hour piece that thoroughly covers the graphic murders of three young boys in Arkansas in 1993. The three suspects, Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley are quickly profiled as the film illustrates...
West of Memphis
Director Amy Berg condenses nearly 20 years of legal injustice and inept policing into this two-and-a-half hour piece that thoroughly covers the graphic murders of three young boys in Arkansas in 1993. The three suspects, Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley are quickly profiled as the film illustrates...
- 10/10/2012
- by Guest
- Nerdly
Zaytoun
Directed by Eran Riklis
Written by Nader Rizq
Starring Stephen Dorff, Alice Taglioni, Ashraf Barhom, Abdallah El Akal
If you like me you sometimes despair of the power of cinema, or how a single inept, obviously inciteful piece of so called ‘film’ is able to inflame a portion of the world to murderous violence then the new Israeli / Palestinian drama Zaytoun might just be the perfect antidote to such depressing, reactionary and manufactered reactions. It is 1982, in the period immediately preceding the Lebanon / Israeli conflict, and Israeli fighter pilot Yoni (Dorff) parachutes out of his crashing plane into the hands of Palestinian rebels in Beirut. The Plo have alighted to the country in order to set up up a more stable headquarters, with many Palestinian refugees fleeing to the country, mostly unwelcome and living in squalid camps. The insurgants assign the task of safeguarding their immensely precious hostage to a group of children,...
Directed by Eran Riklis
Written by Nader Rizq
Starring Stephen Dorff, Alice Taglioni, Ashraf Barhom, Abdallah El Akal
If you like me you sometimes despair of the power of cinema, or how a single inept, obviously inciteful piece of so called ‘film’ is able to inflame a portion of the world to murderous violence then the new Israeli / Palestinian drama Zaytoun might just be the perfect antidote to such depressing, reactionary and manufactered reactions. It is 1982, in the period immediately preceding the Lebanon / Israeli conflict, and Israeli fighter pilot Yoni (Dorff) parachutes out of his crashing plane into the hands of Palestinian rebels in Beirut. The Plo have alighted to the country in order to set up up a more stable headquarters, with many Palestinian refugees fleeing to the country, mostly unwelcome and living in squalid camps. The insurgants assign the task of safeguarding their immensely precious hostage to a group of children,...
- 10/4/2012
- by John
- SoundOnSight
This period adventure story revisits the days of the Lebanese Civil War and the early stages of the ill-fated Israeli incursion into Lebanon. It follows young Fahed (Abdallah El Akal) as he witnesses the death of his father in an attack on a Palestinian refugee camp and his escape from Beirut with an unlikely companion, an Israeli pilot, Yoni (Stephen Dorff), whose plane is shot down. "Zaytoun," by Eran Riklis ("The Syrian Bride," "Lemon Tree") is a road movie that heads toward Israel and toward the village there that Fahed’s family was forced to leave, as the two meet up with everything but peace along the way. The bond between Israeli pilot and angry Palestinian boy careens through the film with a rough-edged sentimentality. The suggestion is that all enemies can get along once they get to know each other, even in the most desperate of circumstances. Dream away.
- 9/10/2012
- by Jay A. Fernandez
- Indiewire
London – Stephen Dorff and Alice Taglioni are to star alongside Loai Nofi (Lemon Tree), Tarik Kopty (Lemon Tree), Ashraf Barhom (The Kingdom) and Ali Suliman (Body of Lies) in Eran Riklis’ U.K./Israel co-production Zaytoun. Oscar-winning producer Gareth Unwin (The King’s Speech) is producing under his Bedlam Productions the movie developed by Fred Ritzenberg of Far Films with Riklis from a script penned by Palestinian scribe Nader Rizq. Story: Oscar-Winning Producer Gareth Unwin Sets Up First U.K./Israel Co-Production Jony Arbid (For My Father) and singer and actress Mira Awad has also signed for the movie which
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- 3/21/2012
- by Stuart Kemp
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Variety reports that Stephen Dorff has signed on to star in Zaytoun, a movie that’s being co-produced by the United Kingdom and Israel, with a script by Palestinian screenwriter Nader Rizq. Set in the year 1982, the film sees Dorff playing David, an Israeli fighter pilot who’s shot down over Beirut and forms an alliance with a 10-year-old Palestinian refugee as they both try to make their way home through war-torn Lebanon. Shooting begins on March 12th; Eran Riklis (Lemon Tree) is directing.
Zaytoun will be the first production under the new UK-Israel co-production treaty which was ratified in November of last year, while distribution rights are already being handled for both the French-speaking territories as well as Israel itself, with no mention of a distribution deal set for the UK or North America. Expect that to be handled later on, possibly after the movie wraps or has already seen release in these areas.
Zaytoun will be the first production under the new UK-Israel co-production treaty which was ratified in November of last year, while distribution rights are already being handled for both the French-speaking territories as well as Israel itself, with no mention of a distribution deal set for the UK or North America. Expect that to be handled later on, possibly after the movie wraps or has already seen release in these areas.
- 1/25/2012
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
[1] Ron Livingston and Lili Taylor are in talks to join Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga in James Wan's upcoming thriller, formerly called The Conjuring. The film, which is now going by the working title Untitled Warren Files Project, centers around a husband and wife paranormal investigation team (Wilson and Farmiga) dealing with spirits in a Rhode Island farmhouse. Livingston and Taylor would play a couple that moves into the farmhouse with their children, and are terrorized by the supernatural beings who reside there. The story is inspired by the real-life tale of the Perron family and paranormal experts Ed and Lorraine Warren in the 1970s. Livingston will next appear in HBO Films' Game Change, which premieres March 10, and this summer's The Odd Life of Timothy Green. Taylor co-stars in Paul Weitz's Being Flynn, which opens March 2. The Conjuring is scheduled to enter production in North Carolina in March.
- 1/25/2012
- by Angie Han
- Slash Film
Fighter pilot role for Stephen Dorff in Nader Rizq-scripted Zaytoun. Stephen Dorff is set to lead the U.K. and Israeli co-production from director Eran Riklis (Lemon Tree), reports Variety. Gareth Unwin's Bedlam Productions and Far Films' Fred Ritzenberg' co-produce Zaytoun. where Dorff plays David, an Israeli fighter pilot shot down over Beirut in 1982 who forms an unlikely alliance with a Palestinian refugee aged 10. After a lack of trust in the beginning, a bond of friendship forms as they journey across a war-torn Lebanon towards their home. Palestinian writer Nader Rizq wrote the screenplay for the film which starts shooting on March 12th. Dorff is keeping very busy as usual and was last seen in Tarsem Singh's epic adventure Immortals. He can be seen in Gabe Torres' Brake action thriller which opens March 23rd via IFC Films, and is in post-production on several projects,...
- 1/25/2012
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Fighter pilot role for Stephen Dorff in Nader Rizq-scripted Zaytoun. Stephen Dorff is set to lead the U.K. and Israeli co-production from director Eran Riklis (Lemon Tree), reports Variety. Gareth Unwin's Bedlam Productions and Far Films' Fred Ritzenberg' co-produce Zaytoun. where Dorff plays David, an Israeli fighter pilot shot down over Beirut in 1982 who forms an unlikely alliance with a Palestinian refugee aged 10. After a lack of trust in the beginning, a bond of friendship forms as they journey across a war-torn Lebanon towards their home. Palestinian writer Nader Rizq wrote the screenplay for the film which starts shooting on March 12th. Dorff is keeping very busy as usual and was last seen in Tarsem Singh's epic adventure Immortals. He can be seen in Gabe Torres' Brake action thriller which opens March 23rd via IFC Films, and is in post-production on several projects,...
- 1/25/2012
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Fighter pilot role for Stephen Dorff in Nader Rizq-scripted Zaytoun. Stephen Dorff is set to lead the U.K. and Israeli co-production from director Eran Riklis (Lemon Tree), reports Variety. Gareth Unwin's Bedlam Productions and Far Films' Fred Ritzenberg' co-produce Zaytoun. where Dorff plays David, an Israeli fighter pilot shot down over Beirut in 1982 who forms an unlikely alliance with a Palestinian refugee aged 10. After a lack of trust in the beginning, a bond of friendship forms as they journey across a war-torn Lebanon towards their home. Palestinian writer Nader Rizq wrote the screenplay for the film which starts shooting on March 12th. Dorff is keeping very busy as usual and was last seen in Tarsem Singh's epic adventure Immortals. He can be seen in Gabe Torres' Brake action thriller which opens March 23rd via IFC Films, and is in post-production on several projects,...
- 1/25/2012
- Upcoming-Movies.com
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