Beneath the Helmet
| Beneath the Helmet: From High School to the Home Front | |
|---|---|
 Official Poster for 'Beneath the Helmet' | |
| Directed by | Wayne Kopping |
| Produced by |
Raphael Shore Rebecca Shore |
| Written by | Baruch Goldberg |
| Music by | Miri Ben-Ari |
| Cinematography |
Aviv Vana Sasha Gorev |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 80 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Beneath the Helmet: From High School to the Home Front is a 2014 documentary film which explores the personal experiences of five Israeli high school graduates who are recruited to serve in the army paratrooper brigade for their compulsory military service.
Synopsis
Beneath the Helmet: From High School to the Home Front is a coming of age story that follows the lives of five Israeli high school graduates who are recruited to serve in the army paratrooper brigade for their compulsory military service - which is viewed in Israel as a rite of passage into Israeli society.[1] These young soldiers undergo a powerful transformation during their service, causing them to face their dreams and fears and the core of who they are and who they want to be.
From the creators of the award-winning documentary Israel Inside: How a Small Nation Makes a Big Difference, the documentary Beneath the Helmet follows these teenagers through their induction and training, portraying how they serve to protect their families and homeland, but also how they support each other through their personal difficulties, irrespective of race or ethnic background.
Granted unprecedented access by the Israel Defense Forces, the filmmakers follow a lone volunteer soldier from Switzerland, an Ethiopian immigrant, a grandson of Holocaust survivors, a female sergeant who originally planned to evade army service, and the unit commander. The film documents their reactions to their army service, fears, responses to the danger of combat, and their families' reactions to their experiences.
Characters
Eden Adler, First Lieutenant
Eden[2] is a commander in the 101st Paratrooper Brigade basic training base; this is his first assignment. The son of an American mother and a Yemenite father, Eden grew up in the Western Galilee town of Kfar Vradim. He overcame childhood challenges of serious learning disabilities and today is directly responsible for the lives, safety and operational effectiveness of 36 recruits and 4 sergeants.
Eden sees his task as not just about making good soldiers, but about inspiring his recruits to grow, change and become involved citizens after their army service. In the film, Eden is seen taking responsibility upon himself for helping his soldiers overcome personal problems.
Oren Giladi, Private
Oren is from Switzerland. He left Israel at age 5 and has decided to come back and serve in the IDF. He left his family and friends behind in Switzerland to do basic training with the 101st Paratrooper Brigade in the Negev Desert. One of his best friends is Mekonan Abebe, whom he met while riding on the bus to the paratrooper base.
Mekonan Abebe, Private
At age 12, Mekonan emigrated to Israel from Ethiopia, his father dying suddenly just hours before they were to board the plane. After making aliyah, he was raised by his mother in a 2-room apartment in a Tel Aviv suburb that he shares with 9 other family members. In Israel for just 6 years, he is proud and excited to be a part of the Paratroopers; however, he faces a number of obstacles. Despite the fact that they come from different worlds, Mekonan has forged a deep friendship with Swiss immigrant and fellow soldier Oren Giladi.
Eilon Cohen, Private
A fun-loving jokester, Eilon has a lot to learn to become a successful soldier. He is a second-generation Israeli, the grandson of refugees who fled Nazi Europe to South America, and later emigrated to Israel. The oldest of three siblings, being the first in his family to be enlisted has been a major milestone for Eilon and his family. Raised in Ashdod, Eilon plays guitar, surfs and is into extreme sports.
Coral Amarani, Sergeant
Coral is from the affluent sea-side neighborhood of Herzliya Pituach. An only child, she originally planned on evading her army service but changed her mind. She is a drill sergeant at Michvei Alon, a pre-basic training program that helps soldiers successfully integrate into the IDF. She is responsible for the basic military training, education and welfare of 12 soldiers, many of whom come from foreign countries.
The Filmmakers
- Raphael Shore (Executive Producer), founder and CEO of Jerusalem U, produced the 2012 award-winning PBS documentary Israel Inside: How a Small Nation Makes a Big Difference as well as the 2010 documentary Crossing the Line: The Intifada Comes to Campus and Crossing the Line 2 in 2015.
- Director and editor Wayne Kopping, has worked on a number of award-winning films, including Israel Inside and has been featured on CNN Headline News, The New York Times and other top-tier TV networks.
- Rebecca Shore (Producer and Writer) was also a writer for Israel Inside and is an artist and lecturer.
- Baruch Goldberg (Co-Producer and Writer), who also wrote for Israel Inside, received his BFA in Playwriting and Theater Studies from DePaul University and spent many years working in Chicago theater.
- Oren Rosenfeld (Co-Producer) covered the Second Palestinian Intifada as a photojournalist and has produced and directed documentaries with the BBC, Vice News and National Geographic.
- Aviv Vana (Director of Photography and Cinematography) has been filming documentaries for more than ten years. He also hosts the Big League CineSummit which is the world's largest cinematography event.
- Sasha Gorev (Additional Cinematographer) is a director of photography with emphases on still and studio photography.
Music
Miri Ben-Ari, a Grammy award-winning violinist and producer originally from Israel, composed and performed original themes for Beneath the Helmet. Ben-Ari, who revolutionized the music industry with her combination of classic soul and dance music, has worked with other prominent musicians such as Alicia Keys, Kanye West, Maroon 5, Janet Jackson and others. Ben-Ari has performed in the presence of distinguished personalities such as US President Barack Obama.[3] She has participated in many promotional campaigns and supports various charitable organizations.
Release
Beneath the Helmet: From High School to the Home Front was released on November 5, 2014 in Israeli and U.S. theaters.[4]
Reception
- Richard Stellar writing in The Wrap summarized his take away from the film saying "the real gift of this movie is that it shows the greatest asset of any nation, their children, have the most to give, and the most to lose."[5]
- Tuvia Book, writing in the Times of Israel, described the film as "inspirational and "thought provoking" and said "One of the fascinating aspects of the film was that it was unscripted. The soldiers spoke directly from their hearts... they serve in the army for three years (or more) because they truly feel a deep connection to the country, love for the land, and take upon themselves the responsibility of ensuring that the people living in Israel and Jews throughout the world feel secure." [6]
- The film has received a rating of 9.8/10 on IMDB.[7]
External links
References
- ↑ "For Israeli Teens, Military Is Rite of Passage". The New York Times. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
- ↑ "Security Check Required". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2016-03-28.
- ↑ "Israeli musician performs at Obama fundraiser". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
- ↑ "Beneath the Helmet (CFIC)". AMC Amazing. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
- ↑ "Documentary Looks 'Beneath the Helmet' of Israel's War Child-Soldiers". The Wrap. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
- ↑ Book, Tuvia. "The Human face "Beneath the Helmet"". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
- ↑ "Beneath the Helmet (2014)". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 18 May 2015.