Riveting, haunting and disturbing, Bethlehem, an Israeli political drama directed by Yuval Adler to a story by Adler and Ali Wakad, is a sober account of the complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The film follows two main characters: Razi (Tsahi Halevi,) an Israeli intelligence operator in charge of several Palestinian informants, and a Palestinian teenager named Sanfur (Shhadi Maryee.) Sanfur finds himself in a difficult position as his brother is a wanted terrorist in hiding, while he himself is one of Razi's informants. Razi grows to like the young man as his own son, an emotion that affects his professional decision making. The story follows both sides of the conflicts, their inner struggles, their relationships with their families, but mostly, the focal point is the complex relationship between Razi and Sanfur, a subtle metaphor for the entire Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The filmmaking, direction and acting are superb as is the case with the new Israeli cinema of the past decade. Politically, the filmmakers do not take sides, an unusual decision and an effective one in this particular case as it keeps the focus on the human aspect. A film not for the faint at heart, Bethlehem gives us a snapshot of the impossible situation and the endless cycle of violence.