flashback. Makram Khoury as Samir, the American. A Palestinian orphan who was a refugee in Texas. Now living as a car trader in a Free Zone oasis. Aki Avni as Julio. Rebecca's former fiancé of Spanish-Jewish origin. They separated after he told her that he had raped a Palestinian refugee during a military operation. as military officer in the border with Jordan . Reception Free Zone received negative reviews from critics. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 26% of critics have given the film a positive review based on 46 reviews, with an average score of 5/10. The website's consensus reads, "The symbolism in this cinematic metaphor on conflicts in the Middle East becomes so overbearing that it's hard to care about the characters or their plight." Awards In the 2005 Cannes Film Festival, Hanna Laslo won the Best Actress award, and the film was nominated for the Palme d'Or. The president of the jury said afterward he considered honoring all three Free Zone actresses with an award for best ensemble acting. Controversy During filming at Jerusalem's Western Wall on February 23, 2005, the Israeli police asked actors and film crew to leave after protests from Orthodox Jews who were praying there while the crew filmed a kissing scene between Natalie Portman and Israeli actor Aki Avni. The scene was not included in the final cut of the film. References External links Free Zone – Amos Gitai official site (interview with director) Compilation of reviews on Free Zone site Free Zone images on NataliePortman.com fansite Stephen Holden (April 7, 2006). An Allegorical Plea for Harmony in the Middle East in 'Free Zone'. New York Times. 2005 films Israeli drama road movies 2000s drama road movies 2000s English-language films English-language Israeli films English-language Belgian films English-language French films English-language Spanish films 2000s Hebrew-language films Films directed by Amos Gitai Films set in Israel Films shot in Israel 2005 drama films 2005 multilingual films Israeli multilingual films