Israel and the Media

David Rubinger: Eyewitness (1998)

50 minutes
Israel, Hebrew with English subtitles
Producer and Director: Micha Shagrir 

David Rubinger, recipient of the Israel Prize for Photography and the Time-Life photographer whose images of Israel over the past 50 years has shaped the world's perception of the state, began to photograph in 1947. He has covered nearly every important event in Israel’s history. Through his camera lens, he has been an eyewitness to the dramatic events that took place in Israel throughout the years. Among his most famous photographs are of the crew of the "Bat Galim" ship that tried to break the blockade of the Suez Canal in 1955; a mother and two daughters in kibbutz Gadot after their home was hit by a Syrian rocket in 1967; Ella Yosefi of Bet Shean after the news of a terrorist attack at the town school in 1970; a female soldier during the 1973 war treating the wounded; and perhaps best known, the three soldiers at the Western Wall in June 1967. In this film, Rubinger journeys back to the places and people he has photographed during the years, and leads the viewers to a better understanding of the contemporary Israeli reality. Rubinger’s pictures represent his own life story, professional views and experiences, but mainly his great love for the country and its people.

Contact Info: Tapuz and Shiba Communications
Address:
34 Allenby St.
Tel-Aviv 63552
Israel
Telephone: 972-3-516-6030
Fax: 972-3-516-6040
Email: tapuzltd@netvision.net.il

Décryptage (2002)
*Click here for CAMERA review of film 

100 minutes
France, French with English subtitles
Producer: Sophie DULAC Productions
Directors: Jacques Tarnero and Philippe Bensoussan

Décryptage, or "Decoding" in English, caused a sensation when it debuted in France in 2002, filling theaters with (often mostly Jewish) patrons dismayed at media treatment of Israel, "the epicenter of a world passion," as one of the film’s interviewees put it. American audiences too will find a riveting, thoughtful and relevant portrayal of how the Arab-Israeli conflict is presented.

The DVD is available for purchase online in PAL (European) format, but not in NTSC (American)  format.  It can be viewed on a multi-region (PAL/NTSC) DVD player:

To purchase online: Amazon.com

60 minutes
Canada, English
Producer and Director: Martin Himel 

This documentary explores the damaging myth and underlying media bias against Israel. Jenin was the suicide bomb making capital in the West Bank. When the Israeli military took over Jenin, much of European and world media claimed Israel committed war crimes and massacres in the city—far from the carnage and massacre broadcast by the media. "Massacring the Truth" examines what actually happened in Jenin, how it was transformed into a massacre myth, and how that myth is perpetuating a new brand of anti-Semitism.

Contact Information:
Elsash Productions Ltd.
45 St. Clair Avenue West, Suite 1400
Toronto, Ontario M4V 1L3

Telephone: (416) 880-3371
Fax: (416) 967-4372
Emails: martin@elsash-tv.com
inna@elsash-tv.com
camilla@elsash-tv.com
bette@elsash-tv.com
avital@elsash-tv.com

Shooting Conflicts (2003)

48 minutes
Israel, English  
Producers: Noam Shalev and Yosi Leon
Director: Noam Shalev

For seven years, Alon Bernstein, an Israeli TV news journalist working for AP and Jimmy Michael, a Palestinian TV journalist working for BBC, have gathered the news, witnessing events from opposite sides of the conflict, filming terrorist attacks, military occupation, aftermaths of suicide bombings, peace initiatives and human suffering. Their views and opinions are shaped and formed by personal, direct encounters with the events, undiluted by the editorial bias that dictates the daily TV news seen all over the world.  In "Shooting Conflicts," the pair reveal their first hand experiences in forthright interviews with the filmmaker.

Contact and Purchasing Information: Highlight Films
Email: info@highlight.co.il
For information about screenings: noam@highlight.co.il

The Road to Jenin (2002)
*Click here for CAMERA review of film 

53 minutes
English, Arabic, Hebrew and French with English subtitles
Producer and Director: Pierre Rehov

In "The Road to Jenin," filmmaker Pierre Rehov's clear purpose is to expose the inflammatory–and defamatory–falsehoods spread by works like "Jenin, Jenin." As such his film does not attempt to be an overview of the Israeli and Palestinian experience in Jenin or an exhaustive account of IDF conduct. Nevertheless, the information that Rehov does provide is based on interviewees who use bona fide images and documents to substantiate their claims.

Contact Information: Pierre Rehov.com
To purchase online: Katrina Productions