Khirbet Khize Ram Loevy

khirbet khize cast: amos tal shir, itzik aloni, dalik volonitz, gidi gov, avi luzia, shraga harpaz, , avraham sidi

in 1978, loevy propelled spotlight dramatization of novella khirbet khize (חרבת חיזעה) s. yizhar. story, written in may 1949, tells of how israeli soldiers expelled palestinian inhabitants of fictional village of khirbet khize homes toward end of israel s war of independence. though controversial, story well-known, , had been incorporated israeli curriculum. s. yizhar highly respected author, recipient of israel prize, , served in knesset 1949 1967.

loevy first proposed dramatization of story in 1972, rejected israel broadcasting authority. submitted proposal again in 1977, time script daniella carmi, hoping film used mark israel s 30th independence day. time film approved, , given budget of 700,000 israeli liras, enormous sum @ time. filmed in west bank , completed film in august of year. there debate on whether film should screened because of controversial nature, after screening before board of iba, decided go ahead. in 1977, while film being produced, new government headed menachem begin voted power, anwar sadat visited jerusalem, , people across political spectrum began question whether should screened, given sensitivity of potential peace negotiations. khirbet khize planned aired on 16 january 1978, on day joint israeli-egyptian political committee first met in jerusalem, , deemed inappropriate. when talks broke down in february, decided screen film in context of political talk show enable public debate. decision made reconvene iba board make final decision, 2 members opposed, in end, minister of education zevulon hammer stepped in , blocked film being aired @ all.

this prompted bitter debate in israel, knesset member yossi sarid of labor party declaring freedom of expression in israel has been brought half mast! . reports claimed begin himself stunned film being censored. in protest @ ministerial decision, iba employees decided black out broadcast 48 minutes during night khirbet khize screened (february 6, 1978) protest iba s decision allow government intervene in television broadcasting. next week, board of iba decided screen film. aired on 13 february 1978, , ram loevy earned reputation of iconoclast willing , able fight politicized system. turning point in career, , later films continued challenge established mythology of modern israel.

loevy made 2 documentary films theatre , role in society. theme had addressed in don t think twice, these films highlighted role believed theatre plays in political discourse.

playing devils, playing angels (1979) followed haifa theatre troupe development town of kiryat shmona on tense northern border lebanon. border town had been site of massacre of eighteen people (including 9 children) in 1974, , had long been target of katyusha rocket attacks across border. distinguished film however, depiction of encounter between volunteers relatively affluent cities , became known second israel : impoverished mizrahi jews of middle eastern , north african descent. attitudes toward underclass emerge major theme in loevy s work.


the nationalist aria va, pensiero!, sung hebrew slaves in verdi s nabucco, highlight of performance in caesarea.



nebuchadnezzar in caesarea (1980), performance of giuseppe verdi s opera nabucco deutsche oper berlin @ ancient roman amphitheatre in caesarea. opera tells story of nebuchadnezzar, destroyed biblical kingdom of judah. performed in theatre built romans, destroyed judah s successor state, hasmonean kingdom of judea, successor generation of nazi germany, perpetrated holocaust against jewish people, successors of judah , judea, in own, newly established homeland. nationalist aria va, pensiero! —a highlight of opera—had especial significance audience. line o mia patria, si bella e perduta ( o country, lovely , lost ), sung jewish exiles, particularly resonated audience. in poignant scene, opera s german producer apologized group of jewish extras asking them play babylonians, while german performers played persecuted jews.
indian in sun (1981) based on short story israeli journalist , author adam baruch, script dita guery (with micha levtov , ram loevy). in playing devils, playing angels, loevy examined relationship between affluent, urban israelis , second israel documentarian. in film, dramatized conflicts , similarities between 2 groups. story revolves around laufer (played doron nesher), israeli soldier wealthy suburbs of northern tel aviv, ordered accompany soldier, known indian (played haim gerafi) , prison. indian dark-skinned cochin jew , moshavnik (though gerafi himself ethiopian jew), , film highlights patronizing attitude laufer has charge. on time, however, , driver (played moshe ivgy) watches, 2 realize share common enemy in establishment, , laufer offers indian escape. while, driver watches in trepidation 2 extremes of israeli social spectrum find have more in common thought, , begin forge alliance between them. film won harp of david award best israeli television production of year, israeli broadcasting authority award.

loevy spent 1983 in cambridge, massachusetts. had more shaped direction of israeli television medium addressing country s major social issues, , awarded nieman fellowship harvard university. among other fellows whom studies alex jones, winner of 1987 pulitzer prize. during year in harvard, studied called epic television , , wrote how single night of watching american television—(family business, news, , love boat, plus commercials) compared three-act drama bertolt brecht. bemoaned idea of politically neutral medium of television, , concluded television never neutral. on rare occasions when took stand, (mccarthy, vietnam war, watergate), helped bring significant change.

upon returning israel, loevy made series of 4 documentary films israel tv, pbs, , england s channel 4:

the end of bathing season (1983, israel tv), present, seen archeologists of future.
the buck stops in brazil (1983, pbs), brazil s national debt.
between river , sea (1984, channel 4) rafik halabi, druze television correspondent in israel.
the million dollar scan (1985, pbs/israel tv coproduction), israeli company elscint , magnetic resonance imaging equipment. in 1972 elscint first israeli company have initial public offering on nasdaq, in 1980s, company suffered series of severe financial losses required government bailout.

at same time, preparing embark on project best known today, drama second israel shake country core.