Category: Film Catalog

Producer/Director: Avi Bohbot

Writers: Aviad Segal, Avi Bohbot

Running Time: 90 min

Languages: Enlgish, Hebrew

Source: Chaos Films Ltd.

Production Status: Development, fund raising

Krav Maga was established by Jews in the middle of the twentieth through their need to survive; a fighting style born of the appalling genocide of European Jewry and the battlefields of newborn Israel. Nowadays Krav Maga is taught in every major city throughout the globe.  There are hundreds of thousands of both Jews and non-Jews learning it.  This film is the first to tell the thrilling and remarkable story of the Israeli-made martial-method – Krav Maga.

The Film will be a 90 minute full length feature intended for wide theatrical and television release all around the globe, including internet, VOD and DVD for private sale under the responsibility of a major distributor.

The movie will reveal the fascinating story of Imi Lictinfeld, a holocaust survivor.  He came to Israel as an immigrant and trained the Palmach, the elite fighting force of the Hagana during the British Mandate of the 1940’s.  After Israel gained its independence, he continued to train the subsequent Israeli Defense Force.  He was mentor to Eli Avikzar. who was living on the streets of Netanya before Imi discovered him. Together, they both became leading figures of Krav Maga, with Imi as founder and Eli as the first Krav Maga black belt.

This story will bring people together.  We want to reveal the new image of the Israeli warrior and its many complex layers to large audiences for the very first time, in the most spectacular way possible.

We will use various and new post production technologies such as animation to emphasize the action and drama of this film, making it thrilling documentary as well as an informative one. This will give an exciting yet insightful perspective on what makes Krav Maga the efficient and much used martial art that it is today.

Each copy of the DVD that will be released will also contain a video guide of the basic Krave Maga drills, allowing people to understand the methodology behind the Krav Maga as well as obtain basic tools for self-defense.

There will be various language versions of the film produced for major markets.

Director: Yana Shekhter, Svetlana Putko

Producer: Avi Bohbot

Format: Video HD,

Duration: 52 Min.

Language: English, French, Spanish, Hebrew, Portuguese, Arabic, and more

 

“Tell me what you eat and I will tell you who you are!”

Food is not just a collection of groceries. It is a culture, a way of life, and philosophy. No wonder the national cuisines are like dictionaries – phrase books which help to understand the language of a people. The people of Israel love to eat, and love to argue where to eat. Therefore, in order to master the “Israeli language,” we want to personally acquaint viewers with the restaurants and cafes of the Jewish state.

The turbulent and complex history of the country’s “three religions” did not contribute to the birth of a unified culinary culture, therefore, in Israel there does not exist what could definitely be called “Israeli cuisine.” The Arabs, remaining within the territory, lay down their own culinary style. Sephardic Jews, who came from Southern Europe and North Africa, added something of his own. Ashkenazi Jews, immigrants from Northern and Eastern Europe, were brought to the promised land with their own customs. That is why this country’s kitchens are as diverse as its culture. To all this, add globalization and modernization, and get a culinary portrait of the Old City.

In our film, we want to present stories of four restaurant and cafe owners in the Old City of Jerusalem. As you know, this place is a collection of different religions, ethnicities, cultures and customs. People with different ideologies and religions live side by side in an area of 0.9 sq.km. Our four protagonists are living in four different areas of the city. Although they live 20 minutes from each other and have similar lifestyles, they probably have never met. They enter the city through different gates, yet shop in the same markets and are equally delighted by guests.

Visual

In order to reflect the rich tapestry of colors and textures that Israel presents, we are planning to combine different formats, styles, and techniques. We’ll shoot most of the film in color on a digital camera, but some of the sequences will be shot on film, and some will be black and white.
We will use crosscutting and using multi-image screens to show the relative characters of our film.
In the film’s sound design, we will use natural sound (sounds of kitchens, markets, street musicians, etc.). We will also focus on the details of the interior, such as personal objects of our heroes, that will give them a more intimate and revealing portraits.

Treatment

The Old City of Jerusalem is a place where tradition runs thick. Aside from the centuries of religious strife etched into its stones, the traditional aspect is most apparent in the Old City’s dining options. Small, family-owned restaurants specializing in one or two traditional dishes abound, and legions of fiercely loyal customers have kept many of them in business for generations.

Our protagonists are residents of four different quarters of the city and representatives of different religions and faiths. For some time, we will follow the lives of our heroes and their restaurants. We will observe where and how they choose foods for cooking and learn the secrets of traditional food and family recipes. Spontaneously, we will celebrate national and religious holidays with them and get acquainted with their friends and relatives.

Currently, Israel is actively developing movement to save its supply of food. Volunteers come to the cafes and restaurants and ask the owners to share their surplus products, which are then sent to the poor. At the end of the day, the poor may have access to an exquisite steak or marbled meat from expensive high-end establishments. The volunteers come in all four restaurants to pick up surplus food for the needy.  We will follow the work of the volunteers, and see who receives the dishes of our four restaurants.

Jerusalem is often called the Holy City, but exactly what emanates holiness is rarely discussed. For many people, Jerusalem derives its holiness not from the remnants of the Jewish Temple, not from its significance in the days of Jesus, and not from the mosques on the Temple Mount, but from one humble food item: hummus. Even if its religious and cultural sites were to disappear tomorrow, Jerusalem would still be a worthy tourist mecca just because of its hummus. In the Muslim quarter, we get to know the owner of Cafe Ramadan. In the back of the market is this place which only the most curious tourists would find. This is a small cafe, where for 200 years the Ramadan family has made hummus. Friends, family members, residents and occasional visitors come here after work. One may order tea or coffee, smoke, talk, watch TV, or get acquainted with neighbors. Mr. Ramadan compares himself and his family to a fish that can live only in the walls of the Old City. “If we get to the shore, we die,” he says, adding that his sons will someday continue his father’s business.

Small falafel stands have long been a symbol of Israel. In the maze of colorful streets of the Jewish Quarter hides a small place where locals and tourists come. The host, a second-generation owener, likes to speak with the guests, and often invites them to the family table. Tourists often come here to relax from the hustle of the Old City and Israeli’s come specially to eat their falafel. The place is never empty, because at few relatives are always present, keeping the owner company.

Jack, the youngest of four brothers and a former drug dealer, is now co-owner of a successful restaurant in the Christian Quarter. 7 years ago, the four brothers decided to leave their profession, to return to where they were born, and open a restaurant.  In 7 years, the brothers have become successful businessmen. Now the restaurant feeds almost 60 people, including cousins ​​and second cousins ​​and other relatives. The owners prefer European food and service, and the restaurant is a symbol of their lifestyle.

Emil, a resident of the Christian Quarter, is a third generation Orthodox Christian and Arab.   Emil lives near Ramallah, and every day comes to the Old City at 7am to work. He cooks cooks himself and no one is included in the process. Emil goes to the market and carefully selects all his products by himself. All the food should be flawless, as the family often has dinner in the restaurant, and his wife is his harshest critic.