Rebecca is a Jewish-American girl who has lived in Jerusalem for several months. She has just broken off her engagement. One day, she enters a cab, driven by a Jewish woman, Hanna. Hanna's destination is the Free Zone at the Jordan border to collect money owed to her husband, recently wounded in a Palestinian rocket attack. Upon reaching the Free Zone, they meet up with Laila, a Palestinian woman who serves as the contact for Hanna's husband's black market activities. The three women set off on a tense journey to retrieve Hanna's money. The film is bookended by a rendition of the traditional Passover song "Had Gadya", performed by Chava Alberstein. The song "Ain Ani" by Shotei Hanevua also plays in the taxi at the end of the film.
Cast
Natalie Portman as Rebecca. Partly Israeli, partly American, she left New York Cityto live in Jerusalem but has no family of her own there.
Hanna Laslo as Hanna. After being expelled from Sinai, she established with her husband in the Negev.
Hiam Abbass as Leila. A Palestinian Arab, rejected by her own son for her modern mores.
Makram Khoury as Samir, the American. A Palestinian orphan who was a refugee in Texas. Now living as a car trader in a Free Zone oasis.
Aki Avni as Julio. Rebecca's former fiancé of Spanish-Jewish origin. They separated after he told her that he had raped a Palestinian refugee during a military operation.
Free Zone received negative reviews from critics. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 26% of critics have given the film a positive review based on 46 reviews, with an average score of 5/10. The website's consensus reads, "The symbolism in this cinematic metaphor on conflicts in the Middle East becomes so overbearing that it's hard to care about the characters or their plight."
Awards
In the 2005 Cannes Film Festival, Hanna Laslo won the Best Actress award, and the film was nominated for the Palme d'Or. The president of the jury said afterward he considered honoring all three Free Zone actresses with an award for best ensemble acting.
Controversy
During filming at Jerusalem's Western Wall on February 23, 2005, Israeli Police asked actors and film crew to leave after protests from Orthodox Jews who were praying there while the crew filmed a kissing scene between Natalie Portman and Israeli actor Aki Avni. The scene was not included in the final cut of the film.
