Section: POLSKIE HORYZONTY: The Female Gaze

Ha-mashgichim

God's Neighbors

Meni Yaesh
Israel, France, 2012, 99 Min

Devout youngsters Avi and friends are Bat Yam’s finest: patrolling their neighbourhood against those on the search for anyone who might dare disrespect the Sabbath and not conform to the pious Hassidic lifestyle, they don’t see a problem in resorting to violence when it serves a greater purpose. Avi soon finds himself confronted by a dilemma however when he stumbles across the secular Miri.

Transfax Film Productions

When the group that has gathered around Avi and his friends Kobi and Yaniv verbally harasses the secular Miri, insisting that she wear more “modest clothes”, Avi starts to falter. He has taken a liking toward this independent, no-nonsense girl, and he senses that his usual modus operandi of enforcing his own notions of the faith might not, after all, be the solution to the world's troubles.

Meni Yaesh’s wonderful feature film debut HA-MASHGICHIM, produced by Marek Rozenbaum, a member of this year’s FilmFestival Cottbus International Festival Jury, is a cautionary tale of bigotry and violence, as well as an unbiased portrayal of a group of high-strung young men who swing back and forth between the comfort of patriarchal entitlement and a subjective interpretation of worship. Part thriller, part social-drama, the film stands out with a keen analysis of what a clear conscience entails and willingness to tackle its controversial subject matter. EY

Filmformat
DCP | Farbe / colour
Drehbuch
Meni Yaesh
Kamera
Shahak Paz
Ton
Matthieu Vigouroux
Schnitt
Asaf Korman
Ausstattung
Udi Tugendreich
Darsteller
Roy Assaf, Gal Friedman, Itzik Golan, Rotem Ziesman-Cohen, Gili Shoshan
Produzent
Marek Rozenbaum
Produktion
Transfax Film Productions
Co-Produktion
Bizibi
Kontakt
Transfax Film Productions
Sara Cohen
Yagia Kapayim, 3
67778 Tel Aviv
Israel
Tel.: +972.3687.12 02
sara@transfax.co.il
www.transfax.co.il]
Meni Yaesh

Meni Yaesh - born 1980 in Bat Yam, Israel. He studied at the Camera Obscura School of Arts before graduating from the Minshar School of Art, Tel Aviv, in 2007. His early short films brought him to the attention of international audiences. Yaesh also works as a screenwriter. HA-MASHGICHIM is his feature film debut back in 2012.

Movies
ELIKO (2007, short)
BLOOD PARKING (2009, short)
AVINU (2016)