Passing Thoughts of a film maker about
The Time and the Moving Image.
A film maker is the master of time and its slave.
An idea for a film pops into his mind in a fraction of a second.
He might spend years in making it.
The film will be an hour and a half long.
It may outlive him.
King David died in Jerusalem in 1004 BC.
In 1989, in Jerusalem, I made a serious comedy about the thoughts which occupied King David's' mind during the last days of his life. He wanted to keep his crown for ever. Alas ! After he died Solomon took his throne.
The film was based on a play (KETER BAROSH) written by Yaacov Shabtai who died
9 years before I made the film.
While shooting the film, David and Yaacov were, no doubt, observing me angrily from above but could not intervene.
It crossed my mind that there is something wrong with the fact that the Present
Is so mighty and the Past so weak.
In 1994-6, I made the TV series Mr. Mani, (based on a book by A.B.
Yehoshua)
It told a story of one family over a period of more than 130 years. It went backwards from present days to the past.
The original book dealt with each period separately. (1982, 1944, 1918, 1899; 1848).
I decided to mix them all - each TV episode included all five periods.
Was it an unforgivable mistake?
Playing with time is a dangerous game.
3. 100 years from now, what will be better preserved – my films or my skeleton?
- - -
These are a few thoughts which crossed my mind as I sat under a tree and counted
The falling leaves. If The Master of Time will allow - I will continue pondering about His relations with my films.
It will be in the spring, when the tree will become green again.
November, 2011