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Synopsis

The Alexandria Ceremonial Police Orchestra arrives in Israel to play at the opening of an Arab Cultural Center. Dressed in full regalia and observing all military police protocol, the members of the orchestra are at a pivotal time in their careers. It’s not just the political nature of an Arab military police band playing traditional Arab music in Israel that makes this event so important; budget cuts and many reorganizations have threatened the continued existence of the Orchestra. Faced with the heavy burden of this assignment, the stoic conductor Tewfiq is determined not to foul their excursion.

Despite all Tewfiqs efforts, it’s not long before problems arise. The band arrives at the airport with no one there to greet them. Stranded and unable able to contact their Israeli hosts or the Egyptian consulate for help, Tewfiq decides that the Orchestra will persevere with its assignment and orders, and designates Khaled, a sauve young ladies man, to ask for directions. Khaled and the station agent struggle in English, Arabic and Hebrew to communicate, but despite their best efforts, the Orchestra is sent to the outskirts of a small forgotten Israeli town in the desert.

Faced with an unknown landscape, and disgruntled and hungry men, Tewfiq brings the men to a small café in the nearby town and humbly asks the proprietor, Dina, for lunch. Not wanting the turn the Orchestra away, Dina invites the men to stay with her and a few of her friends. To punish Khaled for his earlier subordination, Tewfiq orders Khaled to stay with him at Dina’s, while the other men break up and follow their hosts for the night.

Dina brings the two men to her modest apartment where they begin to discuss not the political issues that divides their two cultures, but it’s the intimate details of their personal lives that bring the trio closer together. Before long, Dina’s wry, playful self-confidence, and undisguised sexuality make Tewfiq immediately uncomfortable. Regardless, she is persistent in her attraction to the older, serious Tewfiq, and after some prodding from Khaled, the melancholy band leader reluctantly accepts Dina's invitation to dinner. The proud Arab man in his powder blue military uniform and the free-spirited Israeli woman make an odd couple at the local restaurant, but her persistent compassion breaks through his gentlemanly demeanor and the duo form a bridge of understanding.

With the older Dina and Tewfiq gone from the apartment, Khaled decides to tag along with people closer to his age and convinces the shy and insecure Papi to let him join as the fourth wheel on a double date night at a roller disco. When Papi fails to court the girl his cousin set up as his blind date, Papi turns to the suave Khaled for advice. With a little prodding and a lot of direction, Khaled helps Papi break the ice with his date. Meanwhile, the other band members, headed by second-in-command Simon, stay with Itzik, which ultimately lead to tensions with his family and to revelations about fulfillment that cross cultural boundaries.

When the band leaves in the morning for their intended destination, it is clear that their unplanned detour was worth the trip.

External Links

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ComingSoon.net	Movie trailers, release date news

Weekend Chart Record

Date	Rank		Gross	% Change	Theaters	Per Theater	Total Gross	Days
2/8/2008	48		$67,492		7	$9,642	$67,492	3
2/15/2008	43		$122,241	+81.12%	13	$9,403	$250,511	10
2/22/2008	38		$127,609	+4.39%	26	$4,908	$433,723	17
2/29/2008	29		$291,414	+128.36%	64	$4,553	$899,405	24
3/7/2008	29		$246,868	-15.29%	86	$2,871	$1,217,257	31
3/14/2008	28		$263,633	+6.79%	105	$2,511	$1,564,060	38
3/21/2008	29		$267,209	+1.36%	118	$2,264	$1,919,596	45
3/28/2008	32		$222,995	-16.55%	121	$1,843	$2,246,202	52
4/4/2008	35		$140,743	-36.89%	119	$1,183	$2,459,543	59
4/11/2008	42		$104,935	-25.44%	90	$1,166	$2,614,080	66
4/18/2008	52		$59,796	-43.02%	85	$703	$2,709,751	73
4/25/2008	58		$46,468	-22.29%	57	$815	$2,791,808	80
5/2/2008	57		$29,659	-36.17%	43	$690	$2,852,892	87
5/9/2008	67		$15,226	-48.66%	21	$725	$2,889,561	94
5/16/2008	64		$20,448	+34.30%	25	$818	$2,918,423	101
5/23/2008	54		$27,592	+34.94%	35	$788	$2,953,525	108
5/30/2008	45		$34,774	+26.03%	42	$828	$3,002,385	115
6/6/2008	63		$15,665	-54.95%	19	$824	$3,033,572	122
6/13/2008	98		$3,052	-80.52%	10	$305	$3,043,877	129
6/20/2008	95		$2,778	-8.98%	11	$253	$3,049,140	136
6/27/2008	103		$570	-79.48%	4	$143	$3,051,388	143
7/4/2008	88		$2,058	+261.05%	3	$686	$3,053,823	150

Daily Chart Record

Date	Rank		Gross	% Change	Theaters	Per Theater	Total Gross	Days
2/18/2008	41		$24,234		13	$1,864	$274,745	11
5/26/2008	60		$4,494		35	$128	$2,958,019	109

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