Kissufim (film)

Kissufim
כיסופים
Directed byKeren Nechmad
Written byHadar Arazi
Yonatan Bar-Ilan
Keren Nechmad
Produced byIftach Gabay
Micky Rabinovitz
StarringSwell Ariel Or
Yehonatan Vilozny
Ofer Grinberg
CinematographyRam Shweky
Edited bySahar Vizel
Distributed byUnited King Films
Release dates
Running time
88 mins[1]
CountryIsrael
LanguageHebrew

Kissufim (Hebrew: כיסופים) is a 2023 Israeli coming of age drama film directed by Keren Nechmad.[2] The film stars Swell Ariel Or, Yehonatan Vilozny and Ofer Grinberg. It takes place on Kibbutz Kissufim in 1977, the period after the Yom Kippur War and before the Camp David Accords (peace agreement with Egypt) in 1978.[3][4] It follows a group of young Nahal recruits experiencing love and freedom. It centres three friends, Eli (Swell Ariel Or), Yoav (Yehonatan Vilozny) and Ron (Ofer Grinberg). The three move between emotions of love, hate, jealousy and passion, while maintaining a deep friendship.[5] Eli's character is based on the true story of Elian Gazit, a 21-year-old Israeli women serving with Nahal on the kibbutz. She was killed by a grenade thrown by a terrorist at Palestine Square in the Gaza strip in 1980.[6]

The film premiered at the Cyprus International Film Festival in Cyprus on 4 November 2023. It was released in theatres in Israel on 18 July 2024, and this was followed by an international release on Netflix in August 2024.[7]

The film was shot before the October 7 attack on Israel. It is dedicated to the victims of Kissufim massacre and all terror victims in Israel.[6]

  1. ^ "Kissufim". BBFC. 14 August 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  2. ^ כיסופים לימים אחרים: הסרט שנעשה על העבר השובב של העוטף, הרבה לפני המלחמה Kan. Retrieved on 8 August 2024
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference ynn was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference lam was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ יומן נעורים: כוכבי הסרט "כיסופים" חיים בין שנות ה־70 בקיבוץ הנושק לעזה לפוסט-טראומה ואירועי 7 באוקטובר Israel HaYom. 18 July 2024
  6. ^ a b "אני בעזה מ-1980, מאז הפיגוע שבו נהרגה אחותי" YNET. 17 July 2024
  7. ^ Reel Talk With Swell Ariel Or and Robert Smigel Tablet. 22 August 2024