04.10.05 DocAviv: Napping in a Bomb Shelter

After all the time I've spent in Israel, I still get shocked by those small reminders of ongoing war. For instance, at the second night's screening, my view of the film was obstructed by the HUGE rifle on the lap of the teenager sitting in front of me. Avital told me that soldiers are required to carry their weapons with them if they have no place to lock them up at home. I don't think anyone in the theatre even looked twice at this large weapon, but I could not take my eyes off of it.

Meanwhile, earlier that day I took one of the best naps ever in Avital's room. It was good because, despite the ever-present street noise of Tel Aviv, her room was completely dark and quiet--womb-like, even. This seemed like a pretty amazing set-up, until she told me that it is that way because the room doubles as a bomb shelter, as required by Israeli law. Hmmm. It was a little harder to get comfy in there after that bit of knowledge was dropped.

So...let's get back to the screenings. Last you heard, I was feeling pretty bummed out despite the apparent huge success of the opening. Well, I've had a couple days to get some perspective and I'm feeling much better. The second night's screening was very different, in that it was MUCH mellower. It was also sold out (wahoo!) but it was in the smaller theatre. A few of the bands that hadn't seen it the night before came, but not being the political hardcore bands, they were a little more forgiving. My aforementioned friends Dennis and Tom from Smash4$ brought their crew, and I got to see some others for the first time, namely Dafna from Beer7 and Roy and Yonatan Gatt from Punkache (the funny guys on the couch). Dafna is in the army right now, working on the army radio station--a perfect post for her. It was awesome to see the Punkache guys again and I will be meeting up with them later in the week. Now that Roy is out of the Army, he grew his hair all crazily and he looks adorable.


(Me with Dennis, Tom and Kaffel from Smash4$ at Screening # 2. There's Mobuis from Jewschool in the background, too!)

Before the screening, I went to a political hardcore show at a new D.I.Y veue run in part by Giora from Nikmat Olalim (the young, left-wing band). The show was partially sponsored by the group of girls called something like "the Vegan Sisterhood" and it was really cute for me--sort of like looking into a mirror from 10 years ago. It's funny because the people who I have become really friendly with from the movie are mostly *not* from this activist/hardcore scene, and yet this is the scene that I can relate most closely to as far as my own background. They are just so cynical (and young) that it seems they aren't willing to believe that we have anything in common.

Anyway, at the show I got more of a chance to talk with Tal from Nikmat Olalim who was one of the people I was referring to when I mentioned bands that seemed disappointed in the film. It was good because he opened up a bit about what his specific issues were with it and I felt much better. Hopefully he did, too.