Having hopped the wrong bus, Egypt's Alexandria Police Band disembarks in a remote Israeli town, far from where they are scheduled to perform the next evening. With no other options, they are taken in for the night by sexy shopkeeper Dina (Gabai), while a somewhat clueless friend whose wife is celebrating her birthday also agrees to shelter a few of the reticent musicians. How each group passes a most unusual night forms the substance of this offbeat, highly affecting feature.

“The Band's Visit,” an Israeli/Egyptian film both written and directed with assurance by Eran Kolirin, is a subtle, charming, deeply human film that will touch all who see it. At the heart of it all is the platonic yet ultimately abiding connection that develops between Dina and the band’s seemingly stiff senior leader, widower Lt. Colonel Zacharya (Elkabetz). Nothing that occurs between these two characters (who would normally never meet) strains credulity, and both performers alternate in stealing their respective scenes. In the mood for a feel-good romp? Make way for “The Band's Visit.”