The Band's Visit

The Band's Visit (original title Bikur Ha-Tizmoret) is a 2007 comedy-drama written and directed by Eran Kolirin in his feature debut. An international co-production between Israel, France and the United States, the film stars Sasson Gabai, Ronit Elkabetz, Saleh Bakri and Uri Gavriel.

The story follows the Alexandria Police Orchestra, a small Egyptian band that travels to Israel to play at an opening ceremony. When no one meets them at the airport and a pronunciation mix-up sends them to the wrong town, the musicians find themselves stranded overnight in a remote desert settlement. The film won eight Ophir Prizes from the Israeli Film Academy and was Israel's submission for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 80th Academy Awards, but was disqualified because more than half of its dialogue was in English.