Free Zone Review
WORDS: Yasmin Begum (Youth Editorial Group)
Free Zone (12, 90mins), starring Natalie Portman and directed by Amos Gitai, is an eye-opening view of the Middle East through Israeli eyes. Shown at Cannes in 2005, Hanna Laslo won Best Supporting Actress and it was critically acclaimed at both Cannes and Toronto.
Natalie Portman's character Rebecca flees a hotel after an arguement with mother-in-law and hails a taxi driven by Hana (Hanna Laslo). Through circumstance, these two women end up travelling on a road trip from Israel to Jordan to track an American man who owes Hana money, where they then meet his wife, Leila (Hiam Abass).
This film is art itself and the narrative is non linear; it relies on aesthetics, senses, feelings, emotions and perceptions rather than dialogue. The characters are not developed throughout the film, however as the film progresses the viewer's perspective of the chracters changes as their lives are thrust upon us.
Each one of the three women represent a different cause or struggle within the Middle East. Rebecca represents America, where she is unsure of herself, whereas Leila and Hana play opposing roles as Leila represents Palestine and Jordan and Hana can be seen as symbolic of Israel. The clashes that occur throughout the film clearly show this dynamic, an admirable thing in that the director, Amos Gitai (Israeli himself) has managed to show these dynamics and very different relationships from a completely unbiased point of view. Whereas the women allegorize their respective nations, these barriers of nationality and religion transcend which form the basis of their relationships and their personal issues that have brought them to see Leila in the so-called 'free zone'.
Free Zone's cinematography remains somewhat unconvential which in it style is easy to compare to, say travel / road trip films with its hand-held camcorder movements. This just adds to the charm of this movie and makes it all the more realistic. Most films set in the Middle East are heavily cliched and/or biased, but this film strips away any stereotype of both the Middle East and Middle Eastern women.
You could look at it from a different perspective. You could just write this off as an indeceipherable arty movie... but it's so much more than that - it's moving and beautiful in every way possible.
