Israeli film on Lebanon pullout shatters war myths

BERLIN (Reuters) - The terrified Israeli soldiers in director Joseph Cedar's new film "Beaufort" cannot see their enemy.

But their nerves are strained to breaking point by the shattering blasts from Hezbollah missiles that rain down on their mountain stronghold each day, in a seemingly endless cycle of senseless violence.

The young soldiers are defending an outpost in the heart of enemy territory in southern Lebanon -- the site of the medieval Beaufort Crusader castle which became a powerful symbol of Israel's hold on its neighbor following its 1982 invasion.

Israel's sudden withdrawal from Beaufort and Lebanon in May 2000 after 18 years of occupation is the backdrop for Cedar's haunting film, which explores the moral dilemmas of wartime soldiers while sending a broader message about the futility of war itself.

"The film treats war like a natural disaster or force of nature," Cedar told reporters at the Berlin Film Festival, where the film, partly funded by the Israeli government, debuted.

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