Awards
Prix Arman URTI Grand Prix for Documentaries
Selected Screenings
Synopsis
Can you grasp Israel by its rock and pop bands? Can you see through them the complexities, the tribulation and the dreams of this young country? Can you sense through song and music the divisions among its people, their craving for peace, their pain and their disillusionment of war? Each one of the revealing songs in Israel Rocksdepicts the major problems facing the people of Israel, from politics to poverty, their dreams and their attempts to create a better future.
There are some 20 singers, bands and choirs in this TV documentary, playing and singing in various styles, from pop and rock to blues, folk and rap:
The rocker Rabbi Tuvia Bolton sings of the Messiah who'll come and fix everything while Shalom Hanoch sings that the Messiah won't come and he won't even phone. These are examples of the clash between the religious and the anti-religious Jews that came to a head with the killing of prime minister Rabin by a religious Jew. Shlomo Artzi, the Israeli pop singer, sings of that event, wondering who's next to be killed in this country of fear.
Contrasting the songs of the Palestinian singer Amal Murkus and the choir of the Jewish settlers in the Golan Heights, one can sense the struggle between the Israelis and the Palestinians.
The choir of The Disabled War Veterans of the Israeli Army sing "From the Fires of War." The rock band White Flag which surprisingly combines Israeli Jews and Palestinian Arabs from the Gaza Strip who sing in English and Arabic the Beatles' song "Oh, Darling" while Aviv Gefen sings "We're a F___ed Up Generation."
Artists featured in the film are:
Shlomo Artzi, Meir Israel, Avi Singolda, Gil Feldman, Ami Ofir, Arie Volinitz, Zili Yanko, Nitzan Ein Habar, Shai Meiri, Shai Dagan, Adi Meiri, Uri Chonstkovski, Ilan Berkovitz “Kol Barama”: Chaim Sapiria, Yona Binyamin, Shosh Romi, Noa Ya’ari, Mindi Horvitz, Sara Dagan, Ronit Gofer, Dina Marans, Benny Eitan, Rinat Attia-Gillis, Rutey Bochnik, Vardina Shnurman, Yoram Bass, Ron Ravid, Irit Israeli, Amal Murkus, Naseem Dakwer, Ramsi Ibsharat, Elmar Fel, “The Equator”: Rabbi Tuvia Bolton, Eliezer Bluman, Josy Dov-Cohen, Itamar Malciel, Shalom Hanoch, Roy Martin, Ray Peterson, Rony Peterson, Moshe Levi, “Mind Church”: Mik Golan, Moti Joseph, David Rasad, Ran Almaliach, Yoram Hazan, Aviv Geffen, “The Platinum”: Shlomy Kanean, Oded Shahar, Gabriel Gabi Pollak, Eran Zilberberg, Gil Plotnik, The Choir of the Disabled War Veterans of the Israeli Army, “Israel”: Gavriel Ben-Horin, Nevo Svorai, Ilana Tzabari, Eli Shargarotzki (DJE), Gadi Blori, “The Cubes”: Koby-Moshe Valach, Gilad Ariel, Asaf Zinger, Ilan Sheary, “Snake Fish”: Sha’anan Street, Amir Ben-Ami, David Klemes, Yaya Cohen-Harounoff, Yaron Mohar, Guy Margalit, Moshe Assaraf, “The Joys”: Israel Bright, Tzahi Zaki Har Nevo, Sami Badra, Vitali Podolski, Elad Cohen-Bonen, Sania Kroitor, “White Flag”: Gani Tamir, Katia Kuper, Zaher Abed El Gavad, Mark Smulian, Shadi Haj, Jhonatan Shapiro, “Absolut”: Anna Fishkin, Victor Knoskin, Dmitry Greenberg, Felix Greenberg, Shlomo Gronich & The Sheba Choir performing Mr. Shimon Peres' song, Margalit Zanani, Marco Cohen, Ronen Rahamani, Noa, “Ping Pong”: Yifat Giladi, Chicky, Guy Guy, Ahal Sarale Sharon Nurit Hirsh and the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra and an interview with Mr. Shimon Peres.Article
The Jewish Advocate, September 2007 (PDF)
Home Use DVD:
$29.95Does not include Classroom or Library Use Rights or Public Performance Rights. More Information
Classroom/Library Use DVD: $195
Does not include Public Performance Rights. More Information
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