James' Journey to Jerusalem (Hebrew: מסעות ג'יימס בארץ הקודש) is a 2003 Israeli film directed by Ra'anan Alexandrowicz and produced by Renen Schorr.

[1] The film's plot focuses on an African teenager named James (Siyabonga Melongisi Shibe), who goes on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land on behalf of his village.

Salah, Shimi's father, soon discovers that James is exceptionally lucky rolling dice and he decides to exploit this in order to win in backgammon games against his friends.

Eventually James remembers the original reason for which he arrived in Israel, but it is already too late – he is arrested by the immigration police and transferred to an Israeli prison.

[2] The situation described in the film is quite uncommon, but legally possible: after an arrest for an illegal stay in Israel, a person is either deported or someone may post a bail and give a work permit.