Cinema
Ricochets
שתי אצבעות מצידון
Eli Cohen · 1986
Synopsis
In southern Lebanon, during the 1982 war, a section of B Company of a Golani battalion falls into an ambush in which its leader, Boaz, is killed. Gadi, a young lieutenant fresh from officer school, comes to replace him and finds demoralised men: Georgie, who is quick on the trigger, Bambino the machine gunner, Effi, in love with a young village girl, and Rauf, a Druze sergeant, the most experienced. He must contend with his soldiers' hostility towards civilians and tensions between communities, and the discovery of two murdered civilians opens a blackmail affair.
Context
During the war, Cohen had filmed for the army spokesman a reserve paratrooper company very critical of the command, and these images were not broadcast. Three years later, the army's film unit produced the film to train its officers in conduct towards civilians; Zvika Kertzner wrote the screenplay from the notes of Cohen and Dr Baruch Nevo, who had followed a Golani battalion. Shot partly at Khiam, with unpaid soldiers, it was then handed over to the distributor Shish Kollar, who had it selected at Cannes in May 1986; it was released in Israel in August.
Who it is for
An hour and a half, in Hebrew. It is better to know that the film was first conceived for the instruction of officers called up to serve in Lebanon.
Prizes and reception
Sixth most-watched Israeli film of all time; Alon Aboutboul, who plays Georgie, was awarded for best supporting role.