The Red Toy

In a dump he walks through on his way to school, an Arab lad in Jerusalem finds a small, red electronic game. He picks it up and plays with it as he walks. Security cameras follow him. Near the school entrance, one of his teachers confiscates it, and the teacher, in turn, has it taken from him by two Israeli soldiers. We follow the toy, as do the omnipresent security cameras, into the hands of a café owner, and then to a Japanese tourist, a nun, an Orthodox boy, and more. Its very presence, with its lights and beeps, causes suspicion and sometimes alarm. Is this a world in which it's unsafe to carry a toy?

Directed by Dani Rosenberg, The Red Toy leans on a strong ensemble — Ahmad Abu Sal'oum, Muhamed Eliwat, Jonathan Giron — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about screen titles of 2004.