Outstanding Israeli director These were RiklisKnown for his Middle East, shot by the humanistic films “Lemon Wood”, “Syrian bride” and recently “Reading Lolita in Tehran” feels angry and disappointed due to political leadership in Israel, which led almost 4000 names of the entertainment industry in order to boycott Israeli institutions considered as “complicity in military crimes “on agaz.
Riklis was chosen for the television blows of Tallinn, the co-financing market (November 7-8) with its upcoming television drama “The kidnapping of Jossel Schumacher”, by order of the commercial channel of Israel. Keshet 12
The director seeks to find European partners in Tallinn for his dramatic thriller of six parts. But it is also because anti-Israeli sentiments from some parts of the global industry will not affect his dream of bringing another work to create bridges between people.
“Israel is not in the best [political] Position, and I hope that there will be nothing political between me. Diversity In the video call from his house in Tel Aviv. Similarly, Riklis stinged disputes about the Israeli record of the Oscar “The Sea” with the participation of a young Palestinian boy, risking his life to go to the beach in Tel Aviv, and the subsequent threat from the Minister of Culture of Israeli Mika Zohara to finance the Israeli movie frame.
“I instructed the director of the Sea Shai Karmeli Pollak when he visited the international laboratory of Sam Spiegel with a project. I liked the story and gave Shai confidence in directing it. Then I saw the film at the Jerusalem Film Festival and cried for an hour and a half. This is a simple but difficult story and absolutely beautiful.
The fact that the Israeli movie academy voted for this [as Oscar entry] It was a surprise, but this is the best film that Israel represents right now. It is good to join [Oscar] The race with such a story, ”the director notes, firmly believing that art goes beyond political boundaries, and that storytelling can open the hearts and minds of people.
“As a director, I want to remain optimism,” says Riklis, who was a 19-year-old Israeli soldier during the Kipur Yom war in 1973 and lost many close friends. “I have encountered the Egyptian army for several months. It was a terrible war. But then, who believed that a few years later, in 1979, Egyptian President Anvar Sadat will sign a peace agreement [the Camp David Accords] With the Israeli Prime Minister Menachem, who had very right views. Therefore, I always try to recall these events, ”Riklis insists. – There are always people trying to make changes and succeed; We need to have hope. “
These were Riklis
Credit: Marie Johnny
A series of thrillers based on true events
After “reading Lolita in Tehran,” which coped with women resisting the repressive stationery in Iran, in the next project of Riklis, the TV show “The kidnapping of Jossel Schumacher”, is considering another religious extremism, closer to the house for the director.
History is based on the true case of the abduction in Israel of a seven-year-old Jewish boy, Jossel Schumacher, his ultra-orthodox grandfather in the early 1960s to prevent his parents with his parents as a secular Jew. After intensive international search, led by Israeli's secret services for almost two years, the boy was ultimately found in the United States and returned to his parents. According to the logical line, the abduction “forces three women to face his fate and faith, as well as to a fierce conflict between the Israeli Mossad and the impenetrable web of the Orthodox community.”
Riklis, who was only six to seven years old during the events, has a vivid memory of a case that caused the Selebra, sharing the Israeli society. “During the night, from a small family dispute, history has become a huge, confronting secular and ultra -orthodox population in Israel. Our Prime Minister at that time Ben Gurion was afraid that the matter would lead to a civil war, so he asked Mossad to intervene, ”Riklis explains before adding:“ Without documentary composition, when I was repaid, the floor. Someone, who mentioned it. I just waited for this! ”
Then Riklis contacted the experienced scriptwriter Moshe Sunder, the famous “Fauda”, Apple TV+ Spy thriller “Tehran” and the recent Mania Winning Show “The German” series. Earlier, these two collaborated in the local hit of Riklis “Zohat” (1993) and “Vulcan compound” (1999). “I felt that Moshe would become the perfect co -author and co -author of the series. He has a great skill in balancing drama and thriller, so I was excited when he agreed to sit on the project, ”says Riklis.
Swaying deeper into the plot and the storyline, the director says: “The child’s search will be the main dramatic thread, but in the series they will contain three dramatic layers. Firstly, the core of history will be about three equally spoiled women. Madeleine Ferail, the kidnapper of Jossel, a former French fighter who turned to Judeism. Abraham.
The second layer will become a thriller when Mossad was looking for a boy between Israel, Italy, Germany, France, England and the USA. “You will be on the verge of your place, as with the thriller of Liam Nison,” the director promises. Then the third element will be a complex socio-political context, “with topics of oppression, liberalism, fate against religion, the rule of law against the rule of God, issues that are as relevant today as 60 years ago.”
“Ultimately, we are talking about pain, love, parenthood, loss, faith, fanaticism and secrets and lies at many levels,” adds a director who feels that the project has “all the right ingredients to turn into exciting and deep necessary television for everyone.”
A project with an alleged budget of about 1.5 million euros (1.7 million US dollars) for the episode is carried out by the own production of Riklis Eran Riklis and Moshe Edi from the United King Films, one of the most stubborn production and distribution outfits of Israel and a long -standing partner for Riklis. The Keshet 12 Israeli commercial canal is on board.
“In Kesh, we are passionate about the telling of Israeli stories that reflect our unique culture, resonating with the audience everywhere,” says the head of the drama and comedy Keshet 12 Karni ZIV. “With an eran Riklis at the helm, this project promises to become a moving family drama with a strong, intense advantage, and we are glad to contact its potential with the audience both in Israel and beyond.”
As one of the eight projects selected for the Talin TV Beats joint financing market, part of the Film Festival festival at Tallinn Black Nights@Tallinn & Baltic Event, the series will compete for the desired reward for the development of the European Council for the amount of 50,000 euros (58,700 US dollars).
“In Tallinn, I hope to find co-producers who love the project. I am especially looking for partners from traditional sources of financing sponsors, broadcasters, as well as streamers, ”says Riklis, who hopes to engage in production in November 2026.
