ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ

Forget The Amityville Horror: Private's vision of domestic dread is more raw and real than anything Hollywood fantasy can offer. Based on a true story, Saverio Costanzo's sombre drama explores the Arab-Israeli conflict from the perspective of a Palestinian family whose home is suddenly, forcefully occupied by Israeli soldiers. But when proud patriarch Mohammad (Mohammad Bakri) refuses to budge, divisions breed among his kin, giving us a haunting insight into how the political impacts upon the personal.

Located halfway between Israeli settlements and an Arab village (the film was actually shot in Italy), the house clearly stands as a symbol of a wider struggle. But Costanzo avoids turning this into a dry allegory by maintaining an intimate focus on the family's fears and frustrations. Using handheld digital cameras, his documentary-style approach conveys a terrifying sense of claustrophobia. The tension reaches an almost unbearable pitch when Mohammad's eldest daughter Miriam (Hend Ayoub) boldly sneaks inside an upstairs wardrobe to spy on the Israeli troops.

"POWERFUL STUFF, PERFORMED WITH CONVICTION"

These scenes also put a human face on the invaders, helping to promote balance in a film whose largely one-sided view of such a knotty situation could cause consternation among some audiences. Nonetheless, as a protest against institutional forces' abuse of human rights, this is powerful stuff, performed with conviction. (Mohammad's imposing mix of paternal authority and stoic determination impresses the most.) The momentum starts to lag in the second half, but few will be left unaffected by the movie's end, where the resolution of hostilities merely precedes their renewal.