צה"ל

A documentary. The film inquires the Israeli army (in Hebrew, "Tsahal" is the acronym for Israeli Defense Forces, "Tsvah Haganah L'Yisrael."). The film a sequel to his film SHOAH (1985), it does complete a trilogy that began with WHY ISRAEL? (1973). Much of the film centers on the 1973 Yom Kippur War, positing that it marked a watershed in Israeli history, challenging the army's invincible self image. The deeply moving stories of ordinary men provide graphic insights into an Israeli sensibility profoundly marked by the legacy of the Holocaust. Women are conspicuously and regrettably almost absent. This film turns its attention to the present generation of soldiers who are obliged to serve in Gaza and the West Bank. The film gives voice to critics of the occupation such as the writers Amos Oz and David Grossman. It also addresses the question of torture. The film opens up with a spot on an Israel of men and militarism but ironically leaves out the 1982 Lebanon War and the voices of Palestinians. It crosses the desert, peers into planes and tanks, looks into settlements and border checkpoints, and tries to create a roadmap of Israeli identity. The film won prizes1995 Venice, Toronto, and Berlin Film Festivals.