Translated from the Hebrew

1

The summer will come exposing the flesh

conserving water, conserving men

Preparation for the 100th anniversary of Tel Aviv has elicited all manner of ideas from obscure municipality committees for potential landmarks to mark the occasion. Some have suggested putting up a carrousel, as in London, while others have enthusiastically pushed for the construction of a Hollywood Boulevard. These aesthetic proposals with little ideological significance underscore the fact that Tel Aviv is increasingly moving away from its complex ideological grounding. Its blueprint has changed from the vision drawn up by the early settlers—to create the first Hebrew city—to the insipid slogan of “the nonstop city,” coined by the Tel Aviv Hotel Association. If Tel Aviv committees seem to lack inspiration, instead of looking for Western symbols, they should take a close look at the young Israeli theater that has been able to balance ideological beliefs with artistic needs. 

Israeli cinema produces its fair share of escapism: family dramas, romantic comedies, juvenile humor. But to film festivals and American art-house theaters, the country exports movies soaked in topicality, politics, and conflict. About a group of Egyptians visiting Israel, The Band’s Visit seems to fit into the latter category. Expect cross-cultural understanding, interfaith dialogue, and one or two impassioned exchanges on war and justice. Expect significance. But, in the case of first-time filmmaker Eran Kolirin, don’t. The film begins with the following words, serving as both introduction and disclaimer, scrolling across the screen in Hebrew and Arabic: “Once, not long ago, a small Egyptian police band arrived in Israel. Not many remember this...It wasn’t that important.” 

Made in 1955, Giv’a 24 Eina Ona (English: “Hill 24 Does Not Answer”) was the first movie ever produced in the State of Israel. It tells the story of four soldiers in the newly-formed State—an Irish and an American volunteer, a native Israeli sabra and a Yemenite girl—who were given the task of holding a position on top of one of the hills surrounding Jerusalem in the final hours of the Independence War. The protagonists’ ultimate sacrifice is honored by the UN surveyor who finds an Israeli flag in one of the fallen soldier’s hands and designates the hill as Israeli.