Israel Film Service

This documentary, directed by Boaz Davidson, was originally intended to warn youth against drug abuse. The film offers an intimate portrait of Shmuel Adi, known as Handsome Jimmy, a 29-year-old man who lives in Tel Aviv and is addicted to opiates and other drugs. In his unique speaking style, Jimmy talks candidly about his struggles and the loneliness of being an addict. The soundtrack features Shalom Hanoch’s song “Children of Life,” written especially for the film.

A film produced by the Hasbarah Center in collaboration with Mekorot, Israel’s national water company. Two million work days, of engineers, contractors and of course laborers, allowed the completion of the first part of Israel’s National Water Carrier, an ambitious aquaduct carrying water from the sea of Galilee to population centers and arid regions. The film outlines challenges that faces the builders of the aqueduct: the paving of canals, the creation of a dramatic siphon, allowing the water to cross the Canyon of Nahal Ammoud, the creation of a reservoir at Nahal Tzalmon, etc.

An English-speaking film produced on behalf of the Israeli Center of the International Theater Institute, providing international audience with an overview of modern Israeli theater, including scenes of renowned Israeli theater productions from the theater season of 1967. The film opens with excerpts from “The Dybbuk” at Habima Theater, and includes scenes from the successful musicals of the Cameri Theater “Utz Li Gutz Li” (Rumpelstiltskin) and “King Solomon and Shalmai The Shoemaker”. Other excerpts include scenes from the plays “The American Princess” by Nissim Aloni at the Seasons Theater, “He Walked Through the Fields” by Moshe Shamir at the Haifa Theater, Ibsen’s “Hedda Gabler”, “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf”, and more.

The story of the Arab-Israeli War of 1967, in which the 'occupied territories' were won.

A Prime Minister’s Office’s Minhal Ha’hasbara documentary about Israel’s fishing industry. Twenty three fishing trawlers leave Israel’s ports every day, and many fish ponds operate inland, but some fishermen still use primitive fishing methods. To increase the total quantity of fish farmed and caught in Israel, the Ministry of Agriculture researches fishing methods and trains new fishermen. The film’s camera moves from the Fisheries Research Institute’s labs in Haifa to the classrooms of the fishing school in Mikhmoret, sails aboard the trawler Nakdimon, and eventually returns to the canning factories and fish markets in Israel.

"I believe that every artist needs to be reborn", declares Marcel Janco, one of the co-founders of the Dada movement. Janco, 82 during filming, tells in this film about his various periods as an artist: from the first sketches on a school notebook, to the foundation of the Dada in Zurich, ending with foundation of the artists' village Ein Hod in Israel

An instructional video of the postal services intended for postal receptionists who provide services to the public (produced by the Israeli Film Service). The film explains how to perform their duties (assistance to customers in sending letters, payments, stamp services, etc) in an orderly, accurate, and courteous manner.

Suspense and romance between Jewish and Druze ranchers in the Golan Heights.

Ten engaged observations of the city, before it was united.

A video produced by the Israeli Film Service in cooperation with Israel Railways. “So much for rattling; from now on: one continuous welded rail!” Israel Railways changes the tracks and the ties along the Haifa-Tel Aviv route. This short film follows all of the project’s stages, from the production of the concrete railroad ties at the “Yuval Gad” factory in Ashkelon through the welding of the new rails to form one continuous rail.

A film produced by the Hasbarah Authority and the Ministry of Development. A Somewhat avant-garde attempt to present the generation, distribution and use of electricity in Israel. The means of electric generation are presented against a backdrop of images related to the sectors the consume the electricity, in industry, water distribution and urban-commercial use. Contrasting with all of these are images of a “backwards” rural community, combining attributes of the local-Palestinian and the Mizrahi-Jewish.

A film produced by the Israeli Film Service, the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit and the Navy Headquarters, documenting a training routine of soldiers at the Israeli Navy who serve on submarines and missile boats. The film documents various military exercises such as diving and planting enemy ships with mines, a land raid of the Israeli naval commando unit, and more.

A short documentary about the Jerusalem Foundation’s projects. The Jerusalem Foundation funds educational and cultural activities as well as development initiatives in the Israeli capital. This film reviews some of the foundation’s projects, including theater performances for children and adults, summer camps, activities in community centers, the inauguration of urban parks, the development of the Mishkenot Sha’ananim quarter, the planning of the Museum on the Seam, and even a masterclass by violinist Isaac Stern. Harvey Rothenberg, one of the Foundation’s donors, calls on other philanthropists to donate to it at the end of the film.

The story of a widower as presented by the people surrounding her.

A short documentary, produced by the Israeli Film Service about the laying of the Trans Israel Pipeline. The film was produced under the auspices of the Eilat Ashkelon Pipeline Company and TAHAL. After 18 months of work, one of the most important engineering projects in the history of Israel comes to a close: the laying of a 254 kilometer long pipeline between the Port of Eilat and the oil port in Ashkelon. The purpose: creating a landbridge to transport oil from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean – independently of the Suez Canal. This film follows the complex undertaking, which took place both in the desert and at sea.

In Search of Ladino follows Ladino speakers, their culture, their memories and hopes for their mother tongue. This unique film is one of the earliest works presenting Ladino-speaking Holocaust survivors in Israel, and it provides rare documentation of their testimonies and songs. Filmmaker David Perlov’s camera glances on the faces of the people, as he listens carefully to their stories and songs. The film was meant to be part of a trilogy about languages: Hebrew, Yiddish and Ladino, but Perlov only managed to make the first film.

A documentary film which portrays the dramatic chain of events leading to the invasion of the Arab armies to Israel after the Israeli declaration of independence. The film includes original pictures from the war filmed by both sides, and documentation of the leaders of the Arab forces and the Yishuv in the crucial moments of Israel's "War of Independence".

A promotional film that presents the legislative body and all of its various roles. (filmed during the sixth Knesset term). The work routine of the government, the presidency of the Knesset, the positions of the coalition, the opposition and the various committees. The discussions are taking place at Beit Frumin, shortly before the move to the new permanent residence. The film shows the prominent MKs of those years, headed by Prime Minister Levi Eshkol, Chairman Kaddish Luz, Foreign Minister Golda Meir. At the center of the film is an extensive discussion of the question of Arab Refugees.