Director: Award Winning Israeli films are "mediocre or worse"

In a crushing interview with Haaretz, noted Israeli Director Dover Kosashvili trashes this past year's euphoria in the Israeli movie industry, calling films that won awards "mediocre or worse."

"They're celebrating like this is genuine success," but "it's a load of rubbish."

He attacked the unprecedented success abroad of movies such as:

Ari Folman's "Waltz with Bashir" (Golden Globe for best foreign language film and France's Cesar for best foreign film)

Samuel Maoz's "Lebanon" (first Israeli director to win first prize at the Venice Film Festival)

What's even more interesting, is his reason "why" such mediocre films are winning global awards. The Haaretz English edition left this out altogether, but the Hebrew edition partly explains it...and an interview I heard today on IDF Radio fully explained it.

The recent films all have a common theme: they show Israel spitting at itself and airing Israel's dirty laundry for all to see in public.

This would also explain the success of Yossi Sieder's films:

Beaufort A movie about a 22 year-old outpost IDF commander, and his troops in the months before Israel pulled out of Lebanon. This is not a story of war, but of retreat. This is a story with no enemy, only an amorphous entity that drops bombs from the skies while terrified young soldiers must find a way to carry out their mission until their very last minutes on that mountaintop. As LIRAZ lays the explosives which would destroy that very same structure that his friends had died defending, he witnesses the collapse of all he's been taught as an officer, and his soldier's mental and physical disintegration (IMDB)

Medurat Hashevet The story of a religious-socially shunned young widow, who wants to join the founding group of a new religious settlement in the West Bank, but first must convince the acceptance committee that she is worthy. Things get even more complicated when the younger daughter is accused of seducing some boys from her Bnei Akiva youth movement. (IMDB)

Ha-Hesder In a West Bank settlement, Rabbi Meltzer has a grand design: he's building a movement "to pray at the Temple Mount." His yeshiva has scholars, and the settlement is getting its own military company to be commanded by Menachem, a disciple of the rabbi. He also wants his daughter, Michal, to marry Pini, the yeshiva's best scholar. Michal has no interest in Pini, but she is attracted to Menachem. When she rebuffs Pini, he hatches a bold and secret plan. Is jealousy the motivation or something else? Meanwhile, the army and Moussad are closely watching the rabbi's activities and Menachem's military training. Settlers try to blow up the Temple Mount. (IMDB)

So...if you're an aspiring Israeli Director who wants to win a prestigious film award, just ensure it bashes the IDF, Israel, Right Wingers, Religious Jews, or Settlers.

Quality not Required.

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Voted Most Likely To Drive an Ice Cream Truck

In the recent JWB (Jews With Blogs) awards Jameel received the prestigious Most Likely To Drive An Ice Cream Truck award.

Now I am not really sure what kind of benefits are bestowed upon the recipients of this award, but I have got to imagine that they are as good or better than the JIBs. What I do know for certain is that they have got to come up with a cool graphic of Jameel driving the truck. Picture something like the Good Humor Man with a big smiley face.

Second thought/question. What music would the truck play? An ice cream truck has got to play music.




Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael