historical portrait of Ari Rath. Ari the person and his biography are
indeed impressive and important. But it’s also incumbent upon us to
address the current situation in Israel, which is, after all, closely connected
with Ari Rath, a man who lives in Jerusalem. The constant military presence,
the security controls at the entrances to shops and restaurants, the
checkpoints and the Wall are impressions that have remained vivid in
our minds long after our sojourn in Israel. These are scenes and visions
that make an oppressive impact and that raise many questions.
During the shoot, Ari proved himself to be not only a patient protagonist
as well as a thoroughly entertaining and unflagging interlocutor; he also
assumed—on his own initiative—the function of Head of Production in Israel, coordinating a whole day-timer full of appointments, guiding us to the
original locations where the events of his life were played out, and acting
as mediator and problem-solver to make sure that filming went smoothly
even in touchy situations. Without him—in front of the camera as well as
behind it—this film wouldn’t exist!” Hannes Klein, May 2005
