The Galilee Eskimos (2006)

In the face of deep debt & bankruptcy, men, women and children leave their kibbutz in a state of total desolation - save for a group of elderly people who, unaware of the exodus of their peers, have remained. They decide to keep on living there, despite external pressures in the shape of bulldozers, bailiffs and the lucrative prospect of building a casino on the former kibbutz. This is the story of The Galilee Eskimos, an Israeli comedy that does not lack political undercurrents. But this is far from a political manifesto - if you want to see political dimensions here, fine - but actually, this is more of a feel-good film about friendship, joy and memory. The group of seniors take charge of the situation, and in doing that, they recollect their youth; socialism, independence, work. Even though I found this film very charming, the very uncritical picture of kibbutz life made me a bit uneasy. That the kibbutz founders had a natural right to that kind of life was not something the film dwelled on, even though thematically, it revolved around what it means to belong to a place and view it as one's own - and the bitter realization that one's life is shattered by external forces. On a more positive note, this is a film that honors the joys of everyday life and the possibility of finding friendship and love.