Walk on Water (2004)

Walk on Water (2004)

Director: Eytan Fox
Writer: Gal Uchovsky (screenplay)
Genre:Drama, Thriller
Country: Israel, Sweden
Language: English,German, Hebrew
Duration:103 min
Year: 2004

Stars: Lior Ashkenazi, Knut Berger, Caroline Peters, Gideon Shemer, Carola Regnier

 

 

 

 

Eyal je član Mossada zadužen za eliminaciju neprijatelja. Po povratku iz posljednje misije, saznaje da mu je supruga počinila samoubojstvo te je povučen s rada na terenu dok ne prođe psihološku procjenu. Za to vrijeme dobiva manji zadatak zbližavanja s unucima ostarjeloga nacističkoga zločinca da bi se saznala njegova trenutna lokacija. S vremenom Eyal razvija prijateljski odnos s Axelom i njegovom sestrom Pijom, te počne dovoditi u pitanje svoje vrijednosti i posao.

 

Većina ljudi živi onako kako su ih naučili u skladu sa svojim mogućnostima,poštujući sistem vrijednosti uspostavljan u porodici i društvu.
Rađanje, djetinjstvo, učenje, vjenčanje, stvaranje potomstva,radi, penzija i kraj.
Sad u sve to ubacimo malo religije, zakone, socijalne okolnosti i životna čorba je završena.
Medjutim predvidljivost naših sudbina nije tako jednostavna, jer u ljudskoj prirodi je da traži način da promjeni nepromjenjivo, sazna nepoznato i iskusi neiskušeno.
Upoznavajući jedni druge, putovanja u druge zemlje, upoznavanje drugih kultura, moralnih i društvenih vrijednosti otvoriće nam vidike i navesti nas da promjenimo sistem vrijednosti za koji smo mislili da je vječan.
Tako je Eyal, kruti agent mosada  upoznao veselog Alexa koji o životu razmišlja na način da se sve može promjeniti i ostvariti snovi u kojima hodamo po vodi.
A kako ćemo to uspjeti? Budite iskreni, bez loših misli i volite ljude oko sebe.

 

"Walk on Water" is an Israeli film released in 2004. It stars Lior Ashkenazi, Knut Berger, and Caroline Peters. It was directed by New York-born Israeli director Eytan Fox. The screenplay was written by Gal Uchovsky. Most of the dialogue takes place in English, although there is much in Hebrew and German. Its name derives in part from Jesus' walking on water.

Eyal is an agent in Mossad, the Israeli security service. He is a hitman who targets enemies of Israel. His wife has recently committed suicide, and the agency decides that he needs to take on a less challenging assignment: to find an aging Nazi war criminal and get him "before God does".

In order to track down the old man, Eyal poses as a tour guide and befriends the Nazi's adult grandchildren, Axel and Pia. Pia lives on a kibbutz, an Israeli commune. Her brother Axel visits her in order to convince Pia to return to Germany for their father's seventieth birthday. It is later revealed that Pia's estrangement with her parents began when she discovered that they were hiding her grandfather. She shares this information with Axel.

Although he has a job to perform, Eyal truly befriends Axel and Pia. Axel and Pia are decent people who demonstrate that most Germans have gotten beyond the hatred that led to the Holocaust. They spend time together and Eyal enjoys himself, even if he would not openly admit so. His friendship with Axel allows him to display some humanity, letting down his tough-guy machismo. Eyal and Axel even take a mud bath by the Dead Sea, showering off together in the nude afterward.

When the three are at dinner one night in a Tel Aviv restaurant, Axel speaks privately to the Palestinian waiter, Rafik, and finds out where the best club in town is. Later that evening, Axel, Pia, and Eyal arrive at the club. Eyal is shocked to discover that it is a gay club. He sees Axel dancing with Rafik and is taken aback.

Eyal is initially disgusted and disappointed to discover that Axel is gay. He asks to be removed from the assignment, not attempting to hide his homophobia as the reason. His boss, Menachem, insists that Eyal finish the mission. Eyal visits Germany and comes to realize that Axel's orientation is unimportant. During the visit, Eyal defends a group of Axel's transsexual friends from attackers and, in doing so, reveals that he is fluent in German. He tells Axel that his parents were German, leaving out that most of the Jews in his mother's region of Germany had been killed by Axel's grandfather. Later during the visit, Eyal runs into Menachem, whose family was also killed by the grandfather's Nazi activities.

Axel invites Eyal to his father's birthday party. The guests are uncomfortable about Eyal's nationality and religion, but still polite. After the cake is brought out, Axel's parents surprise the guests by bringing out Axel's aged grandfather. Axel angrily confronts his mother and goes to Eyal's room, only to find a folder full of information on Axel's family. Meanwhile, Eyal meets with Menachem and tells him that they can easily take the grandfather and bring him to Israel to be tried for his war crimes. Menachem reveals that they are the only two on this mission, and the aim is to kill the grandfather. Eyal is clearly conflicted, but takes the case of poisons that Menachem gives him.

Eyal arrives at Axel's house and enters the grandfather's room, unbeknownst to all but Axel. Axel sneaks up behind Eyal and watches as he fills a syringe with poison, doing nothing to intervene. Ultimately, though, Eyal is unable to fulfill the task. He leaves, and Axel tenderly caresses his grandfather's face before turning off his oxygen tank, killing him. He goes to Eyal's room, where Eyal tells him that the suicide note his wife wrote told him that he kills everything that comes near him. Eyal says that he doesn't want to kill anymore and breaks down in Axel's arms.

The story jumps ahead 2 years. Eyal and Pia are married with a child named Tom and living on the Kibbutz. Eyal and Axel remain good friends.

 

Yossi (2012)

Yossi (2012)

Director: Eytan Fox 
Writer: Itay Segal 
Genre: Drama, Romance
Country: Israel
Language: Hebrew
Duration: 84 min





Stars: Ohad Knoller, Oz Zehavi and Lior Ashkenazi

Vjerujem da je večina čitalaca ovog bloga već odgledala film Eytan Foxa Yossi and Jagger iz 2002. godine. Za one koji su se zapitali šta se desilo sa Yossijem nakon Jaggerove smrti ovaj film pruža odgovor.
Yossi je nastavio živjeti kao doktor u jednoj bolnici predavajući se radu. Postao je poznati kardiolog. Na žalost profesija kojom se bavi narednih deset godina je i njegova jedina preokupacija. Već po nejgovom menlakoličnom izgledu se može vidjeti koliko malo misli na sebe, zapušten, ćutljiv i povučen pušta da život prolazi. Najbolji prijatelj i kolega sa posla ga pokušava izvući iz tog stanja , nabacujući mu žensku iako je čuo da Yossija žene ne zanimaju. Valjda je zato ponudio i sebe u kompletu sa tom ribom.
Film je pomalo spor, na momente se učini da ima višak scena, a ponekad da su neke scene koje bi voljeli da vidimo detaljnije nekako prebrzo završene. Dobra gluma i tehički odlično odrađen film nam popravljaju ukupan utisak.
Yossi se u trenucima samoće baca na drkanje  gledajući neke romantične porniće i tražeći preko interneta seks za jednu noć. Kada se jednom prilikom odvažio da stupi u kontakt sa nekim lokalnim pederom , pošalje svoje slike iz vremena kada je bio sa Jaggerom, stare 10 godina. Naravno to mu bude vraćeno na najgori mogući pederski način u vidu ponude kurca za pušenje i to iz sažaljenja.

Yossi odluči da od svega pobjegne i ode prema Sinaju. Uz put pokupi neke vojnike koji su ga podsjetili na njegove vojničke dane da ih prebaci kolima jer su zakasnili na autobus. Tokom tog putovanja jedan od vojnika Tom mu skoro pa otvoreno kaže da je gay kako bi zadobio njegovu pažnju.
Yossi koji više ne vjeruje u sebe pun nesigurnosti odbija neku intimniju komunikaciju sa Tomom.
Narednih dana odsjeda u jednom hotelu pored mora. Tom je uporan i pokušava da razbije Yossijevu ljušturu.
Iako ne opisujem detaljno filmove, posebno ne kraj, moram spomenuti jednu scenu gdje Yossi ima prvi sex sa Tomom. Yossi gasi svjetlo, Tom pali i tako se ponavlja dok Tom ne ustane sa kreveta i počne da se oblači. Yossi mu kaže da ne može da ima seks ako je upaljeno svjetlo, a uvrijeđeni Tom drugačije neće.
Poenta je u tome da je Yossi nesiguran u svoj izgled, stidi se stomaka i svog izgleda pred mladim i zgodnim Tomom. Sa druge strane Tom ga ne doživljava kroz fizički izgled već kao muškarca koji ga je osvojio karakterom, iskustvom i ponašanjem.

Često se stariji ljudi povuku u sebe prezirući sopstveni izgled u ogledalu, ne shvatajući da u sebi imaju mnogo toga što može nekoga privući i emotivno i seksualno.
To je cjena koju plaćaju zbog sopstvenog loše izgrađenog shvatanja seksualne privlačnosti. Bez snage da promjene mišljenje o tome postaju žrtve sopstvenih "pravila"

Film je zaista sjajno napravljen, u stilu Eytana Foxa koji u svakoj priči vidi dvije strane medalje.

Mene je podsjetio na moje sopstvene strahove kojih me je oslobodio jedan momak prije 3-4 godine. Mislio sam da pojavom sjedih vlasi više neću biti nikome privlačan i počeo sam se povlaćčiti u sebe. Jednom sam upoznao jednog jako zgodnog momka, poznatog sportistu koji se strašno ložio na mene. Na moje pitanje šta je vidio u meni te se tako loži, odgovorio mi je: Ti u sebi imaš pravog muškog seksipila i sa tobom osjećam da sam sa muškarcem u krevetu, a za mene biti muško ne predstavljaju pločice na stomaku i počupane obrve već karakter koji neko ima i način na koji se ponaša, hoda, jede, pije, spava,puši.... i naravno jebe.
Vidim da je skroz u pravu.

Review by Daniel Green

Somewhat unfortunately released in cinemas at a time when sympathy for the Israeli military is perilously low, Eytan Fox's melancholic romance Yossi (2012) - the belated follow-up to his own Yossi and Jagger (2002) - is a surprisingly touching story of loss and rekindled sexuality. Featuring a sensual soundtrack (courtesy of Devendra Banhart and Israeli songstress Keren Ann) and several noteworthy performances, including key turns from Ohad Knoller and Lior Ashkenazi, Yossi functions well as a sensitive and emotive portrayal of one ageing individual's journey back from the depths of grief and despair.

Ten years on from the tragic death of his army compatriot and lover Jagger at the Lebanese border, ex-serviceman Yossi (Knoller) has a new life as a doctor in Tel Aviv. Closed off from his friends (?) and colleagues, this lonely thirtysomething snaps back to harsh reality when he meets and treats Jagger's mother, visiting his hospital for a routine medical examination. Revealing both his identity and his relationship with the deceased to the boy's near-speechless parents, Yossi departs for the solitude of Sinai. En route, however, he meets the vivacious Tom (Oz Zehavi), a handsome young soldier who sets our frowning friend on the long and winding road to recovery.

Whilst there's little or nothing particularly new or revolutionary about the themes and subjects broached in Yossi (those looking for any real political subtext would be best served elsewhere), Fox constructs his delicate drama with a degree of elegance and poise, providing a more than satisfying arc of one man's salvation from the brink of depression. Yossi's own self doubt and demoralising lack of self esteem is perhaps most poignant of all - in an early scene, he's forced to apologise for posting a thinner, more youthful photo of himself on an online dating site - and effectively captures that sense of anxiety and desperation that can afflict the lost and isolated.

Though only present for the first half of Fox's film, Israeli cinema stalwart Ashkenazi (last seen in 2011 festival favourite Footnote) carries across most of the comic relief as Yossi's morally dubious guardian angel - not so much perplexed by our protagonist's sexuality than the complete lack there of. The overworked and under-loved doctor, played with stoic amiability by Knoller, seems confined to his own self-imposed abstinence, only eventually discovering true freedom outside of the clinical climes of the hospital gates and in the company of Tom and his raucous squad.

From a national cinema so preoccupied with dispute and conflict comes a heartfelt, warming tale of the healing power of companionship mutual attraction. There have undoubtedly been a plethora of better-made, better-presented world cinema efforts in what may be viewed retrospectively as a bumper year. Regardless, Fox's Yossi is certainly one of the most crowd-pleasing.

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Yossi & Jagger (2002)

Yossi & Jagger (2002)


Director: Eytan Fox
Writer: Avner Bernheimer 
Genre: Drama, Romance, War Country: Israel 
Year: 2002 
Duration: 65 min




Stars: Ohad Knoller, Yehuda Levi and Assi Cohen

"Dont ask, dont tell" je neka prešutna formula koja važi za većinu vojski i policija u evropi pa i na balkanu. Ako se  prekrši to načelo, počinioci uvjek budu kažnjeni. Medjutim Eytan Fox nam sliku o zabranjenim ljubavima u vojsci prikazuje na jedan malo drugačiji način. Romantičan, komičan i na kraju jako tužan.
Odnosi medju drugovima u sredinama kakva je vojnička su nevjerovatno kompleksni, a zasnivaju se na iskrenosti i uzajamnoj želji za drugarskom podrškom da se istraje i opstane.
Granica koju postavljamo u toj iskrenosti kao i svudgje drugo ipak zavisi od toga ko stoji ispred nas i koliko povjerenje imamo u nekoga. Yossi i Jagger nam pokazuju kako ljubav može biti lijepa i teška u isto vrijeme. Tvrd vojnički stav i pravilo da je pokazivanje emocija znak slabosti je nešto sa čime se njih dvojica nose tokom cjelog filma. Medjutim postoje trenuci kada zaboravimo na sve oko sebe i požalimo što nismo ponekad jasno rekli najljepše riječi na svijetu.

Film me je podsjetio na mnogo momenata iz mog života. Jedan od njih je moj odlazak sa Splitske željezničke stanice. Pratio me je najbolji drug, noseći mi jedan ogroman kofer. Ćutali smo dok smo išli prema stanici. Tek kada je voz stigao na peron rekao je: " Neke stvari naprosto znamo i ne treba o njima govoriti, pazi se!"
I kod većine nas koji "znamo", a o tome ne govorimo ponekad se nametne pitanje: - Jesam li trebao reći?

Film sa titlom pogledajte OVDJE

"Yossi and Jagger" compounds the hell of war with the agony of having to keep one's sexuality a secret. The movie is also surprisingly lighthearted, thanks to Israeli director Eytan Fox's deft touch with comedy and old- fashioned romance.
Based on a true story and written for the screen by Avner Bernheimer, "Yossi and Jagger" captures the camaraderie and nervous energy of young soldiers at war. At a snowy outpost on the Israel-Lebanon border, the quarters are cramped, danger lurks around every corner, and sexual high jinks and general silliness take precedence over preparing for battle.
Spirits run high despite the troops' exhaustion. "It's biological warfare! " an army cook cries upon discovering the food in the camp fridge has spoiled. Two soldiers, crouched and ready to take on the enemy, kill time with a game of "who's better": "Popeye or Brutus?" "Michelle Pfeiffer or Sharon Stone?"
Secret lovers Yossi and Jagger (Ohad Knoller and Yehudi Levi), desperate for time alone, embark on a "mission" into the wilderness, and director Fox exploits the winter backdrop for a lustrous, truly romantic love scene. Much of the scene's power comes from seeing Knoller's Yossi, the butch company commander, melt in the presence of his beau. Yossi's affectionate glances turn to flickers of shame once the pair are back at camp, in front of others.
Levi brings an impish charm to Jagger, but the character (nicknamed after the rock star) is more described than he is played. His fellow soldiers talk about how great he is, but he doesn't talk much himself, and when he does, it's mostly to berate Yossi about being closeted. Levi is a big soap star in Israel, so maybe his character's charms could be assumed when the film played in his home country.
Another soldier fancies a female colleague, but she's got a big crush on Jagger. Assi Cohen makes palpable this fellow's sexual frustration and his anger at having to compete with "sensitive" Jagger. The Betty Grable of the outfit, a saucy radio operator named Goldie, is shtupping the unit's married colonel -- an affair conducted practically in the open. Illicit heterosexuality, apparently, is far preferable to committed homosexuality in the Israeli military.
-- Advisory: This film contains raw language, violence, sexual situations.
-- Carla Meyer

Mary Lou ( Tamid oto chalom ) (2009)

Mary Lou ( Tamid oto chalom ) (2009)

 

Director: Eytan Fox

Writer: Shira Artzi
Year: 2009
Genre: Musical, Drama
Country: Israel
Language: Hebrew

 

Stars: Efi Bibi, Angel Bonani and Lior Cohen

 

Fanovima Eytana Foxa sigurno nije promakao ovaj sjajan mjuzikl (muzički film) koji nam je serviran u stilu poznatog muzičkog serijala Glee Cast. Naravno ovo je Gay Glee cast, pa će nam time još više privući pažnju. Priča počinje prikazom malog Meira kojeg na njegov peti rođendan napušta majka. Taj rođendan će pamtiti i kao najsretniji i natužniji dan u životu. Majka ga je zvala malim sanjarom i sa njim pjevala njihovu omiljenu pjesmu 'Mary Lou' od poznatog izraelskog pjevača Svika Pik. Njegov veseli šareni rođendan pogledajte ispod.

           >          

Nakon što ga majka napustila Meir odrasta sa njegovim ocem. Iako je kako kaže Meir postao nekako manje životan Meirov otac David mu je pružio svu moguću ljubav i razumjevanje. Sjajan čovjek, a uz to mi izgleda kao grom! Meir odrasta sa najboljom drugaricom Shuli, kao da su rođeni brat i sestra, sa njom dijeli sve svoje tajne, brige, ushićenja.. I tako do srednje škole dok se nije pojavio Gavriel, ljepuškasti momak u kojeg su se oboje zaljubili.

                    

Naravno Gavriel je izabrao Shuli, a nakom početnih neprihvatanja i ljubomore sprijateljio se i sa Meirom. Nakon velikog skandala u školi kada je Meir izveo predstavu u znak protesta zbog maltretiranja pošto je gay, Meir odlazi u Tel Aviv da traži Svika Pik, nadajući se da će mu pomoći da nađe majku. U Tel Avivu upoznaje Orija koji mu pomaže da se susretne sa Svika Pik. Ori inače radi u jednom Drag Queen klubu i sanja da će uspjeti kao pjevač. Transformacija u noćnom klubu vam može izgledati strašna ali i to spada u gej svjet, zar ne.

                    

Nakon neuspjeha da nađe majku Meir ostaje kod Orija i zapošljava se u klubu, a jednom prilikom se pokazao i kao uspješan tranvestit u jednom nastupu. ( drugi dio gornjeg videa) Shulli dolazi u Tel Aviv kod Meira i zapošljava se kao bebi siterka kod samohranog oca, u kjeg se vremenom zaljubi. Gavriel na jednom dopustu takođe dolazi u Tel Aviv da traži Shuli, ali umjesto nje susreće se sa Meirom i nakon ludo provedene noći završe u krevetu. Meir je ushićen ali i uplašen šta će biti kada Shuli sazna za njih. Medjutim Shuli shvati Meira i Gavriela i sa osmjehom ode kod čovjeka za kojim joj je srce kucalo! Prava romansa, a? Najbolja drugarica prepusti momka najboljem drugu. Hm?

                    

Ori se upoznaje sa zgodnim taksistom Shlomijem koji ga prebije kad shvati da je Ori travestit. Ipak kasnije između njih nastane romansa u kojoj Shlomi nikako ne želi ni da vidi Orija u muškom izdanju, niti ga kao takvog prihvata, što na kraju rezultira Orijevom smrću.

Film Završava kao da ga je režirao Pedro Almodovar. Nakon što je završila Orijeva sahrana na kojoj je sa ostalim travestitima pjevao u spomen najboljem drugu, Meri odlazi kod Gabrijela u kasarnu, sa sve kostimom i plavom perikom. Gavriel u šoku i strahu kaže da ne može da prihvati da javno kaže šta osjeća.

Očajni Meri ide kod oca, koji mu na kraju kaže istinu o majci i zašto ih je napustila. Na dan njegovog rođendana otišla je u bolnicu jer nije željela da je pamte kao bolesnu ženu koja je potpuno izgubila pamćenje. Scena susreta sa majkom je dirljiva. Pogledajte: 

             

Having recently been impressed with François Chang’s début feature finding source material in a Lady Gaga hit “Bad Romance,” it seemed an excellent time to view Eytan Fox’s four-part mini-series, Mary Lou.

In the same vein as crafting a musical/film out of songs (Mamma Mia!), the music of Svika Pick, the popular Israeli singer-songwriter (who briefly appears as himself) with a knack for pleasant tunes if somewhat saccharine lyrics (“Sometimes dreams come true” feeding the main plot of drag-queen-in-training Meir’s—Ido Rosenberg wears his gowns with the greatest of ease but is badly in need of a vocal coach for his non lip-sync numbers—search for his suddenly departed mom, Mary Lou—Maya Dagan plays the angelic role with faraway style; “All that remains a dull ember,” while Ori—the captivating Yedidya Vital, a.k.a. Miss Sunshine on stage—endures a beating at the surprised hands of a pick-up date whose journey to a very private place fastens on an unexpected bit of anatomy. (Sadly, with not even the pathetic character flaw in any way established, the bruised showgirl calls up her/his attacker and they begin dating.) Later “Some lives aren’t worth living” gets a chilling encore.

Without a doubt, it’s the dance scenes that contain the best moments. Oz Morag’s infectious choreography is engagingly rendered by the ensemble, more than making up for the pedestrian plot points and limited characterizations. Having the considerable talents of The Holy Wigs—Jerusalem’s premie`re drag queen troupe—is another visual plus. Director Eytan Fox and his production team (especially director of photography Yaron Scharf) have captured the darting images with consummate skill and managed to edit down (Ron Omer, a master with every cut and fade) the many hours of takes into a snappy whole that will delight gay and straight crowds alike.

Of the remaining leads, Shumel Vilozni as David Levi—abandoned husband, uncomfortable with his son becoming a daughter for pay—bites his stoic tongue so long that his closing revelation seems as false as the manmade cleavage that stokes the female façade nightly. Meir’s best girlfriend Shuli is eagerly brought to adult life by Dana Frider who effortlessly morphs from wounded lover to enthusiastic fag hag. Her sometime boyfriend Gabriel (Alon Levi with camera appeal for any gender) opts to mask his sexuality in the military but is, nonetheless, helplessly drawn to Meir and his fully loaded pistol.

More telling than anything else, the inclusion of Charles Aznavour singing “What Makes a Man a Man” (just after the line “I change my sex before their very eyes” unintentionally reconstructs the last scene in Michel Tremblay’s Hosanna), succinctly demonstrates the power of superior song writing and delivery.

    

Nonetheless, for those who prefer their impossible dreams done up light and frothy, Mary Lou is highly recommended.

 

 

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Ba'al Ba'al Lev (1997)

Ba'al Ba'al Lev (1997)

Ova kratka , mala pederska priča u trajanju od 36 minuta mi je tako dobro legla uz poslijepodnevnu kafu. Filčić je izuzetno koloritan, nekako prepun boja i emocija. Mogu reći nekako sanjarski! Siguran sam da će se onim pederima koji plaču uz filmove jako dopasti.

Režirao ga je Eytan Fox, nama već poznat po filmovima Buah, Ha- (2006). aka The Bubble, Walk on the water (2004), Yossi & Jagger (2002) i drugim.

Film je priča o četiri prijatelja Mitzy, Merito, Nohav i Guri. Guri i MItzi su odrasli zajedno i znaju sve jedno o drugom. Mitzi zna da je Guri peder iako nepričaju mnogo o tome.

Nohav je pederčić koji radi u jednoj plesnoj školi, uvjek šaren i nasmijan.Za amerikance kaže : Imaju sve, New York, MC Donald's, Hollywood, Madonna, tom Cruise, Chelsey, Klintonovu ćerku... al šta im to vrijedi kada nemaju Euroviziju!:) Ima sve ploče sa Eurosonga!
Merito je macho momak iz plesne škole! I Mitzy i Guri su zaljubljeni u njega.
Merito je biseksualac koji je prvo zaveo Mitzy , a zatim i Gurija, koji ga je uz neko trepčeće svjetlo izjebao.
Ono što ovoj priči daje posebnu draž je muzika iz raznih mjuzikla i francuskih šansona koje se protežu maltene kroz cijelu priču!
Pogledajte ovaj film , uživaće te!



Director: Eytan Fox
Writer: Gal Uchovsky (writer)
Genre: Short | Musical | Romance

Plot Keywords: Homosexuality | Eurovision | Closeted Homosexual | Coming Out | Gay Interest


Cast
(Credited cast)
Tzak Berkman ... Guri
Uri Omanuti ... Nohav
Sami Huri ... Merito
Osnat Hakim ... Mitzi

Also Known As: Gotta Have Heart

Runtime: 35 min
Country: Israel
Language: Hebrew
English subtitle:

http://www.sub-titles.net/ppodnapisi/download/i/163636

Gotta Have Heart, or as it was originally named in Hebrew: 'A Husband with a Heart' (Ba'al Ba'al Lev), was originally produced for Channel 2 of the Israeli Television, as a stand-alone film in a series named: 'Short stories about Love'. This film immediately stood out among the many other excellent films in the series, both due to its gay theme, as well as its campy and fantasy-like style.

The film relates to a classic Jewish musical: 'Kunilemel', telling the story of mixed identities of two identical twins, one an orthodox Jew and the other a secular. The two songs included in 'Ba'al Ba'al Lev' (as well as its title) are borrowed from 'Kunilemel': one dealing with the identity conflicts of its main character, the other with the marriage fantasies of its heroine, looking for 'a husband with a heart'.

The use of music has always played an important role in Fox's movies. This is demonstrated in his first short movie, 'After', where the original score was composed by Yehuda Poliker, an out-of-the-closet gay, one of the most successful and admired musicians in Israel, and the theme song 'Wave, Carry Me' sang by the Israeli mega-star Hava Alberstein (in Hebrew: 'Sa'eni Gal', Gal being the first name of Fox's spouse, Gal Uchovsky, credited for writing / screenplay in Ba'al Ba'al Lev and Walk on Water). In later films (Yossi and Jagger, Walk on Water) Fox has been working with Ivri Lider, another out-of-the-closet gay, a very successful young Israeli musician.

Watching this film several times by now, I still find it a rare gem. It is colourful, campy and fun to watch, and yet manages to entail intelligent notions. But most of all, it is highly touching, and like other Eytan Fox movies, this film leaves you with a tear in the corner of your eye. But unlike other Fox movies, in Ba'al Ba'al Lev this tear is accompanied by a huge smile that walks with you for several days after.