Place, Memory and Myth in Contemporary Israeli Cinema

289 Pages·2012·18.34 MB·English

by  Anat Zanger

ZangerHB 7:HB.qxd 09/05/2012 14:45 Page 1
P Place, Memory and Myth in
This very important book takes its readers on a fascinating journey from la ContemporaryIsraeli Cinemaexamines
geography to history and from history to place. In doing so, it provides a c several Israeli fictional and non-fictional
e films, and how their portrayal of
profound analysis of space in Jewish and Israeli culture, and the films that ,
landscape and territory provides a
shaped them. The gaze at history, memory and film through the prism of M
unique perspective on Jewish and Israeli
geography and space powerfully illuminates what has not been fully e identity. Zanger demonstrates how space
m
diagnosed in either culture or cinema, what has yet to be pronounced or in film is not only a ‘container’ for events
o
Anat Zanger is a Senior Lecturer at the analysed. The spatial analysis set out in the book foregrounds historical r in the plot but an event in and of itself,
Department of Film and Television, y since space and place are significant
time, historical narrative and the cardinal myths of Israeli culture – such
and Chair of the MA Program in Film a elements in the on-going negotiations
and Television, at the Faculty of the as the Garden of Eden, the desert, exile and wandering, and Jerusalem. n regarding Jewish and Israeli identity.
Arts, Tel Aviv University. She is author The multifaceted picture of the cinematic present thus provides a portrait d Films capture more than just the outward

of Film Remakes as Ritual and of the Israeli place: the current situation and its roots in Israel’s recent M appearance of a place: they also record a
Disguises (Amsterdam University Press, past and in the remote pioneering era. y web of unruly traces of economic, social
t
2006) and has published articles in h and political systems.
many journals. Nurith Gertz, The Open University of Israel Space and place have always been
i
n significant elements in Israeli identity. As
C conditions change, the perception of
o ANAT Y. ZANGER these elements alters. Almost 2,000 years
A strikingly original analysis of Israeli cinema, Zanger’s study illuminates n
of Jewish exile created a gap between the
the complex interaction between physical space and collective identity. t
e idea of ‘the Israeli place’ and how the
Offering close readings of representative films from Israel’s past and m modern State of Israelhas actualized that
present, the book is informed in equal parts by history and theory. It p idea. Since Israel’s establishment, the
o
inherent friction between the idea and
lucidly delineates the transformation of landscapes into symbolic settings r
a the actuality continues to increase. Israeli
of trauma and memory.
r cinema contains layered expressions of
y
Jacket image: Saint Clara, Ari Folman Anton Kaes, University of California, Berkeley I this friction, and at the heart of this
and Ori Sivan (1996). Courtesy of s unresolved quarrel, place and space
r
Transfax Film Productions and a function in this book both as the subject
Paralight Film Productions. e matter of the analysis and as a theoretical
BOOKS OF RELATED INTEREST
li tool. A critical analysis of Israeli films will

C trace the division as well as the
C Z
INEMA AND IONISM i connection between the cinematic frame
n
The Development of a Nation through Film e and the Zionist one. This innovative
m perspective enables us to discern themes
Ariel L. Feldestein
a significant both to contemporary culture
(maps, borders, checkpoints and military
F S F I
ILM AND THE HOAH IN RANCE AND TALY A zones) and Jewish mythology (garden,
Giacomo Lichtner N desert, water, Jerusalem and sacred
A
T space).

Y The author includes references to
.

Z Israeli literature and art, and interweaves
A
VALLENTINE MITCHELL ISBN 978 0 85303 845 0 N observations from the fields of visual
G studies, cultural studies, mythology and
E
Middlesex House 920 NE 58th Avenue R Jewish thought, as well as cinema studies,
29/45 High Street Suite 300
to create a stimulating analysis.
Edgware, Middlesex Portland, OR 97213-3786
HA8 7UU, UK USA
VALLENTINE
www.vmbooks.com
MITCHELL VALLENTINE
MITCHELL ISBN 978 0 85303 845 0
3734 VM Place, Memory and Myth:Layout 1 8/5/12 12:40 pm Page i
PLACE,MEMORYANDMYTH
INCONTEMPORARYISRAELICINEMA
3734 VM Place, Memory and Myth:Layout 1 8/5/12 12:40 pm Page ii
Thisbookispartofaprojectsupportedbythe
IsraeliScienceFoundation
(ISFfundno.936/08).
3734 VM Place, Memory and Myth:Layout 1 8/5/12 12:40 pm Page iii
Place, Memory and
Myth in Contemporary
Israeli Cinema
ANAT ZANGER
VALLENTINEMITCHELL
LONDON•PORTLAND,OR
3734 VM Place, Memory and Myth:Layout 1 8/5/12 12:40 pm Page iv
Firstpublishedin2012byVallentineMitchell
MiddlesexHouse 920NE58thAvenue,Suite300
29/45HighStreet,Edgware, Portland,Oregon,
MiddlesexHA87UU,UK 97213-3786, USA
www.vmbooks.com
Copyright©2012AnatZanger
BritishLibraryCataloguinginPublicationData
Zanger,Anat.
Place,memoryandmythincontemporaryIsraelicinema.
1.Motionpictures--Israel--History.2.Memoryinmotion
pictures.3.Landscapesinmotionpictures.4.Mythologyin
motionpictures.5.Ethnicityinmotionpictures.
6.Jewish-Arabrelationsinmotionpictures.
I.Title
791.4'3'095694-dc23
ISBN:9780853038450
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Acatalogrecordhasbeenappliedfor
Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproduced,storedinor
introducedintoaretrievalsystem,ortransmitted,inanyformorbyanymeans,
electronic,mechanical,photocopying,recordingorotherwisewithoutthepriorwritten
permissionofthepublisherofthisbook.
PrintedandBoundbyCPIGroup(UK)Ltd,CroydonCR04YY
3734 VM Place, Memory and Myth:Layout 1 8/5/12 12:40 pm Page v
Contents
ListofFigures vii
Preface xiii
Acknowledgements xxv
1. AnIntroduction:OnPlaceandItsMemory 1
PartIPlacingtheImage
2. Maps 25
3. BordersandCheckpoints 41
4. MilitarySacredZone 57
PartIIImagingthePlace
5. UndertheWater 79
6. TheDesertorTheMythofEmptySpace 99
7. TheDisappearingGarden 119
PartIIIImagesinRewind
8. Jerusalem’sSkyline:BetweentheSacredandtheAbject 153
9. TheOrangePeelPath 195
Bibliography 211
Filmography 235
Index 241
3734 VM Place, Memory and Myth:Layout 1 8/5/12 12:40 pm Page vi
3734 VM Place, Memory and Myth:Layout 1 8/5/12 12:40 pm Page vii
Figures
1. ForeignworkerslayingdowninstantturfinPreliminaries
[Mikdamot],AnatEven(Israel:AnatEvenandZe’ev
Smilansky,2005).Courtesyofthedirector. xiii
2. Venice’scarnivalatmosphereinTopHat,MarkSandrich
(USA:RKORadioPictures,1935).CourtesyofRKO/BFI. 8
3. ThearrivalofAschenbachatVenice.DeathinVenice[Mortea
Venezia],DirkBogardeandLuchinoVisconti(ItalyandFrance:
AlfaCinematograficaandWarnerBrosPictures,1971).
CourtesyofAlfa/BFI. 10
4. AbloodstainsuddenlyappearsonaslideinDon’tLookNow,
NicholasRoeg(UKandItaly:ParamountPictures,1973).
CourtesyofDLN/BFI. 11
5. PrivatePrivas(Ya’acovBoudo)picksupthemapinMoishe
Air-Conditioner[MoisheVentilator],UriZohar(Israel:
AvrahamDesheandUriZohar,1966).CourtesyofUnited
KingFilms,MosheandLeonEdrey. 28
6. Ziegler(NissimAzikri)introducestheimaginarymapatthe
excavationsiteinTheBlaumilchCanal[Te’alatBlaumilch],
EphraimKishon(Israel,GermanyandUSA:CanalFilm
Production,1969).CourtesyofUnitedKingFilms,Moshe
andLeonEdery. 31
7. TheceremonyattheimaginarygeographyofTelAvivin
TheBlaumilchCanal[Te’alatBlaumilch],EphraimKishon
(Israel,GermanyandUSA:CanalFilmProduction,1969).
CourtesyofUnitedKingFilms,MosheandLeonEdery. 33
8. BehindthewallinGazainClose,Closed,Closure[Seger],
RamLoevy(IsraelandFrance:RamLoevyCommunications
andLapsus,2002).Courtesyofthedirector. 45
3734 VM Place, Memory and Myth:Layout 1 8/5/12 12:40 pm Page viii
viii Figures
9. Theperformativityofthecheckpoint’sprotocolin‘Passage
Request’fromShukaGlotman’sseries,Occupier’sLanguage
(1995),colourphotocopy,35by40.5cm.Courtesyoftheartist. 48
10. PalestinianandIsraelisoldiersatthecrossroadinCheckpoint
[Mach’somim],YoavShamir(Israel:EdenProductions,2003).
CourtesyofEdenProductions,EdnaandElinorKowarskyand
AmythosFilms,AmitBreuer. 50
11. ThePalestiniandomesticspacedisturbedbythepresenceof
ananonymoussoldierinDetained[Assurot],AnatEvenand
AdaUshpiz(2001).Photographer,DanorGlazer.Courtesy
ofthedirectors. 60
12. ImaginedspaceasexperiencedbyJewishwomensettlersin
TheSettlers[TelRumeida],RuthWalk(Israel:Belfilms,2003).
CourtesyofBelfilmsProductionsandNoemiSchory. 62
13. Themenintheunitcelebratetheendoftheirservicewiththe
filmdirectorinEverShotAnyone?[YaritaPa’amB’Mishehu?],
MichalAviad(Israel:Ma’amoulProductions,1995).Courtesyof
thedirector. 69
14. WaterleakingfromBatya’s(SarahAdler)apartmentceilingin
Jellyfish[Meduzot],ShiraGeffenandEtgarKeret(Israeland
France:LamaFilmsandLesFilmsduPoisson,2007).
CourtesyofLamaProductions. 83
15. TheSirensonthebeachinJellyfish[Meduzot],ShiraGeffenand
EtgarKeret(IsraelandFrance:LamaFilmsandLesFilmsdu
Poisson,2007).CourtesyofLamaProductions. 85
16. Ya’araandTaliaasteenagersinOutofSight[Lemar’itA’yin],
DanielSyrkin(Israel:OrianaGivoli,2006).CourtesyofUnited
KingFilms,MosheandLeonEdery. 87
17. TheinfrastructureofthemikvehinPurity[Tehora],AnatZuria
(Israel:AmitBrewer,2002).Courtesyofthedirector. 89
18. Naomi(AniaBukstein)andMichelle(MichalShtamler)
studyingatthegirls’seminaryinSafedinTheSecrets[Hasodot],
AviNesher(IsraelandFrance:ArtumasCommunication,Metro
CommunicationandTuVasVoir,2007).Photographer,Eyal
Landesman.CourtesyofUnitedKingFilms,Mosheand
LeonEdery. 93
3734 VM Place, Memory and Myth:Layout 1 8/5/12 12:40 pm Page ix
Figures ix
19. ThearrivalinthedesertinTheBand’sVisit[BikurHa-Tizmoret],
EranKolirin(IsraelandFrance:JulyAugustProductionsand
SophieDulacProductions,2007).CourtesyofJulyAugust
ProductionsandUnitedKingFilms,MosheandLeonEdery. 100
20. Victor(ShaikeLevi)prepareslunchatthereserveunitinHalfon
HillDoesn’tAnswer[Giv’atHalfonEinaOna],AssiDayan
(Israel:NaftaliAlterandYitzhakShani,1976).Courtesyof
UnitedKingFilms,MosheandLeonEdery. 105
21. IsraeliandEgyptiansoldiersinanoutpostatthedesertin
HalfonHillDoesn’tAnswer[Giv’atHalfonEinaOna],
AssiDayan(Israel:NaftaliAlterandYitzhakShani,1976).
CourtesyofUnitedKingFilms,MosheandLeonEdery. 107
22. Dina(RonitElkabetz)andTawfiq(SassonGabai)inTheBand’s
Visit[BikurHa-Tizmoret],EranKolirin(IsraelandFrance:July
AugustProductionsandSophieDulacProductions,2007).
Photographer,MeirRajuan.CourtesyofJulyAugustProductions
andUnitedKingFilms,MosheandLeonEdery. 109
23. ThedoubleframingofthegardeninMrNeville’sdrawingand
Greenaway’scinematicframeinTheDraughtsman’sContract,
PeterGreenaway(UK:DavidPayne,1982).CourtesyoftheBFI. 123
24. Infrontofthe‘TreeofKnowledge’inGiraffes[Girafot],
TzahiGrad(Israel:MH1Investments,2001).Photographer,
NicoledeCastro.CourtesyofthedirectorandMH1Investments. 125
25. Theelderspeepingattheangelgirlbehindthegardenwallin
TheGarden[HaGan],VictorNord(Israel:BerkeyPathé
HumphriesIsrael,1977).CourtesyofUnitedKingFilms,
MosheandLeonEdery. 129
26. ThetransplantationofthegardeninJames’JourneytoJerusalem
[Massa’otJamesBe’eretzHakodesh],Ra’ananAlexandrowicz
(Israel:LamaProductions,2004).CourtesyofLamaProductions
andUnitedKingFilms,MosheandLeonEdery. 131
27. TheThousandandOneNightsinthegardenofPromenade
oftheHeart[Nuzhatal-Fouad],Yehuda(Judd)Ne’eman(Israel:
CelznerAlexandra,2006).Photographer,DanZeltser.
Courtesyofthedirector. 135