Cinema
Hide and Seek
מחבואים
Dan Wolman · 1980
Synopsis
Jerusalem, 1946, under the British Mandate. Uri, twelve, lives with his grandfather, a man of books, while his parents are caught up in the struggle against the British. He does poorly at school, and he is given a tutor, David Balaban, whom he dislikes at first and who becomes his friend; the women of the neighbourhood have eyes only for this attractive young man. The neighbourhood suspects an informer among its own. Uri and his friends, who dream of joining the underground, distrust Balaban, who refuses to commit himself, and see him exchange letters with a young Arab.
Context
Wolman wrote the screenplay with Avi Cohen. For lack of money, he shot in fourteen days with ten technicians, on 16 mm later blown up to 35 mm; he borrowed cars from the forties through classified ads and had the British officers played by Irish UN soldiers on leave. Ilan Rosenberg shot it without being paid in advance. Doron Tavori plays Balaban, Chaim Hadaya Uri, Gila Almagor the mother. The premiere took place on 12 December 1980 at Cinema 2 in Tel Aviv, and the next day in Jerusalem. The film also deals with nationalism and courage, and with the figure of the Arab enemy.
Who it is for
A film seen from a child's height, in Hebrew. It helps to know that, in that milieu, refusing to take up arms was enough to make one suspect.
Prizes and reception
Three Silver Rose prizes, including Gila Almagor's; regarded as the first film of the Israeli gay community; shown at Berlin in 2016.