Does the ‘Neighborhood’ Film Represent a Social Revolution?
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
Crossposted from Haaretz
Local residents had no idea what hit them — one morning they were informed that everyone was being vacated from their homes. Real estate sharks had designated the neighborhood as the next luxury complex and thanks to their connections to the mayor their venture succeeded. Liat (the singer and actress Liat Banai), a local resident, wife and mother, decides to go to war after her husband, who launched the opposition, is murdered in mysterious circumstances. She battles the establishment and at the end of an aggressive campaign is victorious.
That, in a nutshell, is the plot of “The Big Lie,” the 12th feature film by Yamin Messika and Yarmi Kadoshi, the owners of Hamizrah Productions. In addition to Banai, the film also features Yankele Ben Sira, Eran Levy, Beber Yoko and even Yaron London playing himself. But besides the feature films, the two say they have also directed and produced hundreds of clips, discovered singing stars (Sarit Hadad, for example), and produced documentary films and children’s videos. They are also responsible to a certain extent for the rising use of VOD (video on demand ) cable services and at HOT they acknowledge that the addition of Hamizrah Productions has brought them audiences.
Why I became the Forward’s Editor-in-Chief
You are surely a friend of the Forward if you’re reading this. And so it’s with excitement and awe — of all that the Forward is, was, and will be — that I introduce myself to you as the Forward’s newest editor-in-chief.
And what a time to step into the leadership of this storied Jewish institution! For 129 years, the Forward has shaped and told the American Jewish story. I’m stepping in at an intense time for Jews the world over. We urgently need the Forward’s courageous, unflinching journalism — not only as a source of reliable information, but to provide inspiration, healing and hope.
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
