Waltz With Bashir

In this Israeli documentary, the filmmaker comes to terms with his memory loss around his participation in the Israeli war in Lebanon, his role as facilitator/witness to horrible slaughters of Palestinians in that war.

The beautiful animation allows the audience to come closer to an incredibly difficult topic. It allows the viewer to take the journey with him as he comes to terms with the horrors of war.

http://waltzwithbashir.com/ – the official website.

The film was made with the full support of the Israeli government. It received 6 Israeli ‘academy awards’, while presenting the troubling reality that Israeli troops facilitated a slaughter that echoed the reality of the Nazi slaughter of Jews in the concentration camps.

I went to see it last night when my friend called me up and invited me. She said, “Its animated, its a journey into the past to deal with war trauma memory, it’s right up your alley”. And so it was.

I learned alot from the techniques of that film. I know I need to make longer pieces in order to draw the viewer in slowly, bring them closer to the difficulty of human violence and loss. This film taught me a great deal about creating that journey for an audience, and making it palatable enough to watch.