Medurat Hashevet (Campfire) (2004)

88% of critics liked it
(17 reviews)
69% of users liked it
(507 ratings)

A woman seeking to embrace both her faith and her culture finds that neither is as simple as she imagined in this drama from Israel. It's 1981, and Rachel (Michaela Eshet) has become a single mother of two teenage girls after the unexpected death of her husband. Looking for a new identity as she… More A woman seeking to embrace both her faith and her culture finds that neither is as simple as she imagined in this drama from Israel. It's 1981, and Rachel (Michaela Eshet) has become a single mother of two teenage girls after the unexpected death of her husband. Looking for a new identity as she starts her life again, Rachael decides to pull up roots and leave Jerusalem for a new settlement on the West Bank. Rachel's daughters have become acclimated to city life and are unenthusiastic about their mother's decision, but that doesn't change her mind. However, Rachel's neighbors soon make their own feelings felt; they obviously aren't happy with the prospect of a single mother living in their community, and she soon finds herself subjected with any number of matchmaking opportunities from fiftysomething men. More seriously, daughters Esti (Maya Maron) and Tami (Hani Furstenberg) don't feel safe or accepted in their new environment, especially Tami, who has a traumatic experience while on a camping trip with a Zionist youth organization. Campfire was the winner five Israeli Academy Awards in 2005, including Best Picture. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 35 min.
Directed By: Joseph Cedar
Written By: Joseph Cedar
Genres: Art House & International, Drama

In Theaters: Feb 10, 2004 Wide
On DVD: Aug 8, 2006

Critic Reviews

Russell Edwards, Variety
Pic juggles several storylines that include the personal and political, but is unable to get beyond soap-opera shtick.
Rex Reed, New York Observer
Israeli films in general constitute dissenting voices against the established order by championing individual aspirations. Still, Mr. Cedar's own background makes him an unusual candidate for the role of dissenter.
Stephen Holden, New York Times
Beyond casting a jaundiced eye at the community's oppressive communalism, Campfire neither endorses nor opposes the settler movement that since 1981 has become an incendiary issue in Israel.
Lisa Rose, Newark Star-Ledger
A humane portrait of a troubled household and, by extension, a troubled country.
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News
A good movie that could have been better, Joseph Cedar's sensitive Israeli drama falters when he trades sociological observations for political ones.
Akiva Gottlieb, Village Voice
The timelier elements of Campfire, which cleared house at Israel's Academy Awards this year, are too salient to dismiss.
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
Wraps up rather abruptly and a little too neatly, but Campfire still roars effectively.
Eric Monder, Film Journal International
Succeeds because Cedar skillfully develops his narrative, and he is ably helped by a strong cast led by Eshet and fine production
Marta Barber, Miami Herald
It's a story about sexism and inequalities, and were it not for its hokey ending, the film would've gained even more international recognition.
Ken Fox, TV Guide's Movie Guide
Released as the settlements on the Gaza Strip were being dismantled, Cedar's film offers a refreshing new perspective of them and a sly critique of their origins.
Donald J. Levit, ReelTalk Movie Reviews
A 'little film' about loneliess and the difficult ability to love and to trust --but at the same time more universal than the shifting tide of nations' concerns.
Phil Hall, Film Threat
Completely monotonous.
Kevin N. Laforest, Montreal Film Journal
The half-baked, curiously optimistic ending is frustrating, but otherwise this is a moving, beautifully acted picture.
Jim Slotek, Jam! Movies
Rings so familiar and universal, you have to remind yourself there are some tricky Middle East politics buried under the emotion.