Israel: A Home Movie | Eliav Lilti

Israel: A Home Movie weaves together stunning home movie footage from the early years of Israel to offer a critical look at the history of the Jewish state. Showing the birth of one nation and the exile of another, the film goes on to depict the development of Israeli society, recounting history from a complex Zionist perspective.

We have salvaged reels upon reels of original 8mm, 16mm and Super 8 film which tell the story of Israel from the 1930’s to the 1970’s. The startling images are at times uplifting, endearing, and disturbing, creating a collage of personal moments which comprise Israel’s tangled past. The film intertwines unique images of individuals and families – daily life, celebrations, and vacations – alongside decisive historical milestones:

waves of Jewish immigration in the 1930s and 40s, Palestine during the years of the Holocaust, the declining relationship and rising tensions between Jews and Arabs, and the outbreak and decimation of the 1948 War, mass absorption of Jewish immigrants in the 1950’s, the trauma of the Holocaust survivors, the Six Day War and its euphoric aftermath, Israel in the swinging 60’s and 70’s, the 1973 October War, the rise of the settlement movement in the territories, and the historic visit of the Egyptian President to Israel.

With the onset of video and digital cameras, the formats of 8mm and Super 8 film have almost completely disappeared.

Israel: A Home Movie saved hundreds of hours of original film footage, exposing an alternative and untold narrative of Israel in the 20^th century.