Kippur

Monday, October 6, 7:30 pm France/Israel, 2000, 35 mm 121 minutes, Hebrew with English subtitles Director: Amos Gitai Winner of the Francois Chalais Award at Cannes (2000), Gitai’s autobiographical story is a stunning - though difficult - chronicle of the 1973 Yom Kippur War. When war breaks out, two best friends, Weinraub and Ruso, head quickly for the Golan Heights. Unable to find their unit, they meet up with an army doctor, Klauzner, and form a rescue team. Their efforts require repeated helicopter trips into the combat zone in order to evacuate the dead and wounded.

Despite the extremely graphic depiction of war, Kippur was recognized as a major cinematic breakthrough and has come to be regarded as a classic film. The first person account provides an emotional connection as we are treated to an inside view of the cohesive unit, while still sensing the dislocation that war creates. As Variety writer David Stratton notes, “Early scenes in no way prepare the viewer for the extraordinary realism of the battle front material, which is stunningly staged by Gitai and his team.”