SOLDIER/CITIZEN (Silvina Landsmann, Israel). 68 minutes. Subtitled. Rating: NNNNN
Here’s proof that sometimes production values and big budgets don’t matter a damn. Just put a camera in a room and turn it on.
In this case, the focus is on Israeli soldiers getting a civics lesson from a progressive teacher, a course they must complete before they can return to civilian life. Listen to what these young men and women – not at all a homogenous crew – have to say about Arabs, Orthodox Jews, gays, history, the Holocaust and you get a renewed sense of Israel’s complex politics.
Every once in a while, director Silvina Landsmann opens up the scene and takes the camera out of the classroom. And every time that happens, you want to shout, “Get back in there.”
Apr 29, 6 pm, Bloor Hot Docs Cinema Apr 30, 2 pm, TIFF Bell Lightbox 2 May 5, 9 pm, ROM Theatre.
