Promised Land (2004 film)
2004 French-Israeli film by Amos Gitai
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Promised Land (Hebrew: הארץ המובטחת) is a 2004 French-Israeli film, directed by Amos Gitai and starring Rosamund Pike, Diana Bespechni, and Hanna Schygulla. It tells the story of a group of East European girls smuggled into Israel to serve as prostitutes.[1] The film is the first of Gitai's "Frontier" trilogy and premiered at the Venice Film Festival.[2]
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| Promised Land | |
|---|---|
Film poster | |
| Hebrew | הארץ המובטחת |
| Directed by | Amos Gitaï |
| Written by | Amos Gitai, Marie-Jose Sanselme |
| Produced by | Amos Gitaï, Michael Tapuach |
| Starring | Rosamund Pike, Diana Bespechni, Hanna Schygulla |
| Cinematography | Caroline Champetier |
| Edited by | Yann Dedet, Isabelle Ingold |
| Music by | Simon Stockhausen |
Production companies | Agav Hafekot Agav Productions, MP Productions |
Release date |
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Running time | 88 min |
| Countries | France Israel |
| Languages | Russian, Hebrew, Arabic, English |
Director Gitai commented on the film: "If I have succeeded in spoiling even one man's appetite, and causing him to stop going to prostitutes - then I feel I have succeeded in doing something."[3]
Synopsis
The film opens at night in the Sinai desert. Under the moonlight, a group of men and women warm themselves around a campfire. Women come from Eastern Europe expecting to work as prostitutes in nice hotels in Egypt. Tomorrow they will suffer rape, humiliation and will be auctioned off by a Frenchwoman named Anne. They will pass from hand to hand, victims of a network of prostitution, eventually being smuggled into Israel to work in a Red Sea resort nightclub.[1][4]
One night, at the brothel, Diana meets an English woman called Rose. She begs her for help. Their meeting is a sign of hope in the plight of these women.[1][4]
Cast
- Rosamund Pike : Rose
- Diana Bespechni : Diana
- Anne Parillaud : Anne
- Hanna Schygulla : Hanna
- Yussuf Abu-Warda : Yussuf
- Amos Lavie : Hezi
Awards
- CinemAvvenire Award, Cinema for Peace Award at the 2004 Venice Film Festival.[5]