Winner of the 2004 Israeli Academy Award for Best Picture, Campfire, journeys to 1981, a more innocent time, when the West Bank settlements were less of a political statement than a desire by pioneers to seek adventure.

Rachel, a 42-year-old mother of two girls, wants to join a founding group of a settlement. But when her daughters resist, family turmoil results. Moreover, the Settlement Acceptance Committee wonâ??t approve Rachel unless she remarries and her family meets the groupâ??s standards. Enter Yossi, a nice-guy bus driver, who has been on an endless series of dates but has yet to find someone to love.

When an incident occurs at a youth campfire, rumors spread about Tami, Rachelâ??s shy, younger daughter. With the rumors jeopardizing her standing in the community, Rachel must put them to rest if she has any hope of changing her life. Yet, what will that mean for her family and for herself?

Director Joseph Cedar understates the politics of the settlements and focuses instead on the awakening of a woman struggling with the ongoing battle among her own needs, those of her family and the pressures of her peers. It is a portrait of a political movement that has forever effected millions of lives in the Middle East.

Sandy Wolf

MAVERICK COMPETITION