Waltz with Bashir

Colour, 35 mm
Israel, Germany, France, 2008, 85 min
Section: Open Eyes

Synopsis

The autobiographical protagonist Ari sets out to find old friends and other people who can help him recall the brutal massacre in the Palestinian refugee camps of Sabra and Shatila, which Israeli forces countenanced during their 1982 occupation of West Beirut. The director / protagonist was then a member of the army – will he manage to overcome the trauma and amnesia and remember whether he was a party to one of the darkest chapters of Israeli history? This unconventional film by Ari Folman was one of the most powerful entries in this year’s Cannes competition. In this it was aided not only by its realistic, indeed autobiographical basis, but also by its form as an animated documentary. “War is surreal and memory so treacherous that I said I would rather set off down memory lane with a team of animators,” explained Folman. In the steps of Persepolis, this is another animated film about recent history in the Near East – and every bit as absorbing, moving and horrific.

About the director

Ari Folman (b. 1962, Haifa, Israel) completed his military service in the mid-80s and hit the road. When he returned he studied film, and debuted with the feature-length documentary Comfortably Numb (1991), and now makes documentary and feature series for television. His first feature film Saint Clara (Clara Hakadusha, 1996), based on the novel by Czech author Pavel Kohout, won the Special Jury Prize at the Karlovy Vary IFF. This was followed by the film Made in Israel (2001). Waltz with Bashir is his third feature film, and was screened to great acclaim in competition at Cannes 2008. Ari Folman is also a member of the Grand Jury at this year’s Karlovy Vary Film Festival.