Farewell Column
Tur Preda
dir. Ron Ninio
Israel, 2024 - 77
Tel-Aviv, 2020 - the 2nd COVID lockdown. It is the beginning of the dark reign of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
After writing yet another article against him, the journalist’s mobile is flooded with hateful messages. Meanwhile he tries in vain to get to his autistic son at the hostel, while his parents, sick of the lockdowns and of each other, are looking to him for help. Later on, his daughter, who is at an anti Netanyahu protest turned violent, won’t pick up her phone, sending him and his wife on a drive to Jerusalem to look for her. On the way they are forced to face their relationship issues. Late that night, his family is finally reunited and he finds some consolation while his beloved country is in turmoil.
Needless to say, the film echoes the crisis of October 7th and its tragic consequences to the Israelis and the Palestinians in Gaza. The protests against Netanyahu and his government and the demand to bring the hostages home and end the war are gaining momentum every day.
Director’s statement:
I made an independent film amidst the COVID-19 lockdown, during which Israel went through political turmoil and protests against Prime Minister Netanyahu. It is a documentary-style film shot with a small crew, two small cameras and no makeup, aiming to reflect the harsh reality we as Israelis found ourselves in. The possibility of assassinating a journalist, a protester or a politician arose periodically during this troubled time, and we as citizens felt helpless against this chilling possibility. This film is the story of a journalist in distress and his fight against a dangerous head of state who acts as a dictator. What needs to happen for the warring political parties to lower their weapons and truly start talking to each other? How can self-reflection serve as a catalyst for change? The actors and crew members responded enthusiastically to this challenge and readily volunteered to be part of this project as it provided them a feeling of protest. It was a defining moment for all of us.
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