Cup Final

An effort to reconcile some of the differences between Israelis and Palestinians, Eran Riklis's CUP FINAL uses the cliche of a beleagured platoon with a POW whom they eventually come to accept as a fellow pawn in the larger political struggle. The catalyst for this realization is a shared love for soccer and a devotion to the Italian national team in the World Cup match.

Cohen (Moshe Ivgi) is far from a ferocious warrior; he has trouble buckling his helmet's chin strap and laments his army's Lebanese incursion as undue interference with his Plans to attend the match in Barcelona. Heightening the irony is a brief aside in which a fellow reservist admonishes him f...