Cinema
Paratroopers
מסע אלונקות
Judd Ne'eman · 1977
Synopsis
At a paratroopers' training camp, Zvika Weissman, a young city dweller who did everything to be admitted to a combat unit, fails to fit in with his company. Chosen by his comrades for a medical demonstration, he has to undress amid jeers; during the stretcher march, he falters, tries to escape and ends up strapped to the stretcher. His captain, Yair, refuses to move him to another section and keeps telling him that the army has no logic, while in the showers and under the tent the other recruits' bullying intensifies.
Context
The screenplay is by Danny Horowitz, Kobi Niv, Rachel Ne'eman, the director's sister, and Renen Schorr; Hanania Baer did the cinematography and Shem Tov Levi the music. For the sake of realism, the actors lived for several days in the camp of a paratrooper company in training, in 1976, whose encampment served as the set. The censorship board at first refused its release because of two scenes judged harmful to the army; the chief of staff Mordechai Gur saw the film and authorised it. It was restored in 2016.
Who it is for
An hour and a half, in Hebrew. Better to know that the Hebrew title refers to a march with stretchers, a test in the training of combat units.
Prizes and reception
Allowed despite the censors, it was afterwards used to train officer cadets to prevent suicide among recruits.