Field Diary (1982)

Synopsis: Director Amos Gitai boldly captures the chaotic and dangerous world of Israel on the brink of war. In FIELD DIARY, he and his small crew risk their safety again and again, challenging soldiers and... Director Amos Gitai boldly captures the chaotic and dangerous world of Israel on the brink of war. In FIELD DIARY, he and his small crew risk their safety again and again, challenging soldiers and policemen with their questions, confronting Jews and Arabs alike about their opinions of the conflict. Gitai's film throws the viewer into a world of constant conflict. The film opens in 1982 with Gitai and his crew on their way to film the invasion of Lebanon. They refuse to turn their camera off while being harassed and threatened by soldiers at a checkpoint. From there, FIELD DIARY continues in that same tense vein for another 83 minutes. But Gitai is more interested in getting at the larger truth than in creating drama for its own sake. At one point, Gitai interviews two soldiers. The first says that the only way for Israel to have peace is to force all the Arabs out. The second soldier, obviously friendly with the first, responds differently. He says, bluntly, "Give them back their land." In the simplicity of this moment, Gitai captures the turmoil of a nation. The film got a hostile reception when it debuted in Jerusalem, and Gitai subsequently was sent into exile. This film was screened as part of an Amos Gitai retrospective organized by New York City's Anthology Film Archives. [More]

Director: Amos Gitai

Director: Amos Gitai
Producer: Amos Gitai