Entebbe film draws flak

Press, 16 September 1976, Page 23

Entebbe film draws flak

By Robert Gary The Israeli Government’s plans to cooperate in the production of a projected SIOM Hollywood film on Israel’s Entebbe rescue are coming under heavy public criticism. Readers’ letters appear almost daily in newspapers, protesting against the decision to provide army personnel and equipment for the Warner Brothers film on the rescue of over 100 passengers of an Air France airbus hijacked by Arab guerrillas.

Government officials rejected warnings of possible commercialism and cheap sensationalism, saying that appropriate safeguards were included in the contract with the film company. A company spokesman promised that the film would “stick to the documented facts.” A recent letter in the Jerusalem Post summed up a wide section of public feeling. “The idea of making a film now about the Entebbe rescue degrades its heroic spirit of selfdefence and reeks of commercialism. Let us leave it to the next generation,” it said. Columnists and editorial

writers have also been cautioning the Government against getting involved in a commercial venture that might distort the historical facts to make it more sensational — and more saleable. Even the State television network questioned the wisdom of participating in what it said, “Must in the final analysis, be a profit-making commercial venture, and cannot permit historical fact to intrude.”

Israeli movie producers, critics and other film experts interviewed on television and in the Press and radio stressed the difficulty, if not impossibility, of being certain that the finished product will resemble the original script, which must still be written.

“Control of even a boy-meets-girl film is impossible,” an Israeli film director told Israel Radio.

“During shooting, the producers always come up with fresh ideas and gimmicks, then of course, the director wants to assert himself and leave his mark on posterity, and so, to hell with the script.” A popular critic asked on the same radio programme why the Government on one hand voted against issuing a special coin to commemorate the event, but agreed to help produce the film.

‘‘The Government showed sound judgment in refusing to issue the coin, which would have produced a lot of revenue, but would also have commercialised the audacious operation,” he said. “Serious thought should also be given to the probability that the film will underline, however unintentionally, the racial problem, with the clever white man outwitting the clumsy black. Israel, with its fragile relationships in Africa and the third world, hardly needs that sort of publicity,” the critic added. Not so. said the Government official directly, involved in negotiations with the film company. “Our agreement is airtight and gives us full control at every stage of operation — from initial script approval to the final product.” Mr Ezra Sasson, of the Commerce and Industry Ministry, said on television and radio. Mr Sasson also stressed the vital contribution the film would make in building up the country’s lagging film industry. For more than 20 years the Government has sought, through financial and other forms of help, to develop movie-making into a profitable industry. The results have been admittedly disappointing, with few Israeli films breaking into the world market. The Entebbe film deal also requires the film company to produce another three movies in Israel, ‘Mr Sasson said.