Producer Arik
Bernstein recently released the film Israel: A Home Movie. Shot between the 1930s and 1970s, the film features
home video clips of Israeli citizens, giving an intensely personal and
individual view of Israel’s history. “We spent between eight and ten years
collecting all of the footage we have,” says Bernstein. “We put little ads in newspapers, I pushed
myself onto every kind of radio show that I could, a lot of word of mouth.” In
addition to the home videos, those appearing in the videos and their family and
friends provide voiceovers to their clips. Some explain the situation in the
clip while others nostalgically comment on their family and friends’ looks or
even teasingly criticize the talents of the amateur cameramen.
Though it tells the history of Israel, the film turned out
very differently than Bernstein
expected. He states, “Israeli audiences told me that this was one of the
most depressing films they’ve ever seen.” Israel’s history is by no means a
tranquil one and the home videos capture that more fully than expected. A home
video of a relaxing day at the beach between friends tells a particularly
moving story.
Several shirtless men were enjoying the shoreline bordering
a placid sea. As they dig their canopy’s legs into the sand, they spot
something in the sky. “Suddenly they look up and they see an Egyptian jet
fighter… They don’t know what’s going on [and then] they realize that there’s
the surprise attack of the Egyptians and the 1973 Yom Kippur
War has just begun.”
The film quickly turns into a melancholic exploration of the
Yom Kippur War, capturing moments of confidence and despair. “The film goes
from hope to war, from hope to war…” says Bernstein. “It shows in a very personal way, a kind
of cycle that doesn’t end.” Not only is Israel:
A Home Movie a film about Israel’s past, it is a film reflecting the state
of the country at the present moment and, unfortunately, a very likely portrait
of Israel’s future.
We often view history as a vast and untouchable something
that is beyond us. This is by no means true, in fact it is nearly the opposite
of what defines history. Family, friends, and strangers are history. History is
individual stories, interwoven and intertwined throughout time, place, and
culture. These home videos show raw and close history unspoiled by
sensationalism and touched by living memory. People define history. People
control these waves of hope and war, just as people suffer them. The impact and
value of a single person, a family, an entire world of people is limitless. We
have power, both good and bad, beyond measure.
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