I can't stop thinking about it so I might as well write about it
This week is the Toronto Israeli Film Festival at the Sheppard Grande Theatre, so my mom and I decided to go to see two movies - we each picked one. Tuesday night we went to see The Debt - a story about 3 Mossad (Israeli Intelligence) agents who capture the 'Surgeon of Birkenau' - a Nazi war criminal - in 1965 for extradition to Israel for an official trial. But more than 30 years later, when their target’s escape threatens to expose their old cover-up, one of the agents is forced to track him down and eliminate him once and for all. The film alternates between 1965 and present day. It was excellent and apparently a "Hollywood version" is being made. This one was my mom's pick.
The trailer for The Debt is on youtube. The movie has subtitles but I couldn't find a trailer that did, even though there are English sentences interspersed with the images in this trailer...
Last night we went to see my pick - Beaufort. Beaufort is the story of a group of Israeli soldiers stationed at an outpost in Lebanon prior to the withdrawal of forces of 2000. Normally I don't like war movies - too much blood and just generally not my thing. However, when I read the synopsis in the film festival brochure, for some reason I was drawn to this movie. As I watched I was deeply engrossed in the stories of these 18 year old IDF soldiers who struggle equally with boredom and survival as they are under increasing missile attacks from Hezbollah. Based on a true story, this is as much a movie about friendship and people as it is about war and politics. After I left the theater all I could think about was how in 2000 when this true story took place, I was 18 years old. The same age as many of the Israeli soldiers who lost their lives in the attacks. I kept thinking about the Israeli soldiers I know - several of whom were in active duty at that time and could have easily been deployed there. I felt lucky to live in a country that I am not forced to defend, but also deeply moved by the unwavering loyalty these soldiers show, even when they are not sure what they are fighting for, or if they are going to survive. I've thought about these things before, mostly when I met Israeli soldiers for the first time, and although I could tell you my position on the Israeli army, the mandatory enlistment, and the peace conflicts, that's not what this movie is about, and it's not what it made me think about. Right now as I write this I am picturing the face of one of the men who died in the movie. Although the face I am picturing is that of an actor, he represents a real person. A person who gave up his life for his country, so that someone like me could visit that country and feel safe, and be safe. That's an incredible gift and I am grateful for it.
The Beaufort trailer is also on youtube. It was nominated for an Oscar for best foreign film last year. The trailer and the movie have subtitles. I highly recommend this movie to everyone - whether you know anything about Israel and the Israeli army or not.
The trailer for The Debt is on youtube. The movie has subtitles but I couldn't find a trailer that did, even though there are English sentences interspersed with the images in this trailer...
Last night we went to see my pick - Beaufort. Beaufort is the story of a group of Israeli soldiers stationed at an outpost in Lebanon prior to the withdrawal of forces of 2000. Normally I don't like war movies - too much blood and just generally not my thing. However, when I read the synopsis in the film festival brochure, for some reason I was drawn to this movie. As I watched I was deeply engrossed in the stories of these 18 year old IDF soldiers who struggle equally with boredom and survival as they are under increasing missile attacks from Hezbollah. Based on a true story, this is as much a movie about friendship and people as it is about war and politics. After I left the theater all I could think about was how in 2000 when this true story took place, I was 18 years old. The same age as many of the Israeli soldiers who lost their lives in the attacks. I kept thinking about the Israeli soldiers I know - several of whom were in active duty at that time and could have easily been deployed there. I felt lucky to live in a country that I am not forced to defend, but also deeply moved by the unwavering loyalty these soldiers show, even when they are not sure what they are fighting for, or if they are going to survive. I've thought about these things before, mostly when I met Israeli soldiers for the first time, and although I could tell you my position on the Israeli army, the mandatory enlistment, and the peace conflicts, that's not what this movie is about, and it's not what it made me think about. Right now as I write this I am picturing the face of one of the men who died in the movie. Although the face I am picturing is that of an actor, he represents a real person. A person who gave up his life for his country, so that someone like me could visit that country and feel safe, and be safe. That's an incredible gift and I am grateful for it.
The Beaufort trailer is also on youtube. It was nominated for an Oscar for best foreign film last year. The trailer and the movie have subtitles. I highly recommend this movie to everyone - whether you know anything about Israel and the Israeli army or not.