Beyond ‘Homeland’ and ‘In Treatment': Israeli Topics Ripe for American Adaptations (Guest Blog)
Aviva Kempner recommends reworking ”Gett, the Trial of Vivian Amsalem“ and documentary ”Above and Beyond“ for U.S. audiences
Aviva KempnerGuest Writer | March 3, 2015 @ 11:42 AM
Showtime/HBO
Even as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu makes news with his sectarian speech to Congress, the better drama about Israeli society and military history can be found in two recently released films. Both movies are ideal candidates for being adapted into dramatic films in the States.
Ronit Elkabetz and Shlomi Elkabetz’s “Gett, The Trial of Vivian Amsalem,” offers a riveting portrayal of an Orthodox Jewish woman’s struggle to obtain a gett, a religious divorce required by Orthodox Jewry, from her clearly estranged husband. The drama features the disengaged couple returning time and time again over the years to appear in front of three Orthodox rabbis in a very claustrophobic courtroom setting. The movie demonstrates how the husband holds all the power to allow the divorce and the rabbis to grant it in this Orthodox world that can place a wife in a horrible state of matrimonial limbo.
Playing in limited release, “Gett” was nominated for a Golden Globe and won for Best Picture and Best Supporting Actor at the Awards of the Israeli Film Academy. Elkabetz pulls off not only co-writing and co-directing the film, but plays the wronged wife to perfection, swaying from disbelief to hatred as the agony of her returning to court continues.
Least you think it’s only an Israeli phenomenon, there are Orthodox women in the United States who have been denied divorces in American Rabbinical courts, preventing them from moving on with their lives and ever remarrying. Referred to as “chained women,” there is a movement in the States to embarrass these stubborn husbands into releasing their separated spouses. This American variety of these wives being held hostage by their dogged husbands would make for a great American drama.
“Above and Beyond,” a documentary directed by Roberta Grossman and produced by Nancy Spielberg (sister of Steven Spielberg), would make for a swashbuckling adaptation into an American feature. It’s the inspiring story of the returning World War II American soldiers, mostly Jewish, who secretly helped the newly established Israel develop an air force to fight during the War of Independence in 1948. Operating as volunteers and risking losing their U.S. citizenship, they were an unusual band of soldiers who use chutzpah and cunning to secure planes, fight hostile Arab countries and contribute to the war effort. It is now in limited theatrical and festival release.
Spielberg just showed her film at the Washington Jewish Film Festival, where it won the audience award. The energetic producer explained how she was compelled to make this film when she read an obituary about the heroism of one of the fighters. Spielberg chose Grossman to direct after seeing her documentary “Blessed Is the Match” about Hannah Senesh, the young Jewish resistance fighter during World War II. Grossman agreed to do the film because, she said, “I am a sucker for 20th-century Jewish history.” Some of the footage of the fighting came from the Steven Spielberg Archives, but, the producer joked, there was “no family discount.”
The film depicts the volunteers clandestinely building the air force under the risk of FBI discovery and hopscotching from Panama to Italy to Czechoslovakia. These volunteers, some facing anti-Semitism in America, wanted to help Israel after the Holocaust and build a Jewish state. Their stories are ripe with guile, humor and romantic adventures. All these elements would make a great Hollywood movie.
So go to the movie theaters and see how more Israeli stories will certainly inspire dramatic adaptations, like “Homeland” and “In Treatment,” here in America in the future.
21 Buzziest Streaming Shows: From 'Marco Polo' to 'Transparent' (Photos)
The Amazon Studios original series "Transparent" chronicles the abnormal life of the Pfefferman family once it's revealed that father Mort is transgender. The groundbreaking series won the Golden Globe for Best Television Series - Musical or Comedy, and Jeffrey Tambor snagged the award for Best Actor in a Television Series for his portrayal of Mort-now-Maura Pfefferman.
Amazon
With Season 2 having premiered in Oct. 2014, Amazon's political comedy "Alpha House" stars John Goodman, Clark Johnson, Matt Molloy, and Mark Consuelos as Republican U.S. Senators living together in Washington, D.C.
Amazon
The first two seasons of Netflix's insanely popular "Orange is the New Black" are ready to binge-watch (if you haven't already), and it's third season will be released in June.
Netflix
Actor and musician Steve Van Zandt stars in "Lilyhammer," the American version of a Norwegian series of the same name. Centering on a New York mobster starting a new life in Norway, all three seasons are currently available for streaming on Netflix.
Netflix
Netflix's first original cartoon series, "BoJack Horseman," is a delightfully politically incorrect comedy about a 90s sitcom star who has faded from the spotlight.
Netflix
Another Netflix original, "Hemlock Grove" is a dramatical thriller about a string of murders in the fictional town of Hemlock Grove, and the two men who investigate.
Netflix
"Marco Polo" is Netflix's historical drama about the explorer's early years in the court of Kublai Khan. The show stars Lorenzo Richelmy as Marco Polo and Benedict Wong as Kublai Khan.
Netflix
Netflix streaming gem "House of Cards," stars Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright as South Carolina Democrat Frank Underwood and his wife, Claire, as they execute ruthless schemes for power in Washington, D.C. The third season is scheduled to premiere in February.
Netflix
Marvel's live-action series "Daredevil" stars Charlie Cox and Vincent D'Onofrio, and follows the adventures of NYC lawyer Matt Murdock (Cox). Blinded as a child, his other senses are elevated to superhuman levels, allowing him to fight crime as masked vigilante Daredevil. The first season is available for streaming on April 10th.
Netflix
Krysten Ritter will star as Jessica Jones, the titular superheroine-turned-private detective in another Marvel and Netflix collaboration, "A.K.A. Jessica Jones." The series will air on Netflix in 2015, and will also star Mike Colter ("The Good Wife").
Netflix
The fourth and final season of the former AMC series, "The Killing," found a home on Netflix. The crime drama recently wrapped up its run with Mireille Enos and Joel Kinnaman in their lead roles as homicide detectives Sarah Linden and Stephen Holder.
Netflix
"Arrested Development" got a reboot for a fourth and final season on Netflix. Die-hard fans of the show argued over the success of the streamed season, but we still saw all original cast members return to reprise their quirky, dysfunctional roles in the Bluth family.
Netflix
The creepy crime drama, "The Fall," originally a BBC series, premieres its second season Jan. 16th on Netflix. Set in Northern Ireland, the show follows detective Stella Gibson and her pursuit of serial killer Paul Spector, played by Jamie Dornan ("Fifty Shades of Grey").
Netflix
Netflix continues its love of historical crime dramas with "Peaky Blinders." Set in 1919 post-WWI England, the crime saga follows a gang as they operate out of Birmingham, led by mob boss Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy).
Netflix
Cult favorite and former NBC comedy "Community" was brought from the brink of cancelation by none other than Yahoo. Its sixth season will be available for streaming March 17th, and will add Paget Brewster ("Criminal Minds") to its main cast.
NBC
"Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee," the brainchild of Jerry Seinfeld, premiered on Crackle in 2012. Seinfeld has let us in on chats with Louis C.K., Jimmy Fallon, Larry David, and many others.
Crackle
Created by "Late Night" host Seth Meyers and streamed on Hulu, offbeat superhero comedy "The Awesomes" follows Prock (voiced by Meyers) the son of Mr. Awesome, the greatest superhero on earth. When Mr. Awesome retires, Prock gathers his own team of sub-par heroes, and hilarity ensues.
Hulu
Hulu original comedy "The Hotwives of Orlando" blatantly spoofs the "Real Housewives" franchise. It stars Casey Wilson, Kristen Schaal, Angela Kinsey, Danielle Schneider, Tymberlee Hill and Andrea Savage as wealthy housewives in Orlando, Florida. The second season will premiere sometime in 2015 and follow a new group of women living in Las Vegas.
Hulu
Another Hulu original, "Quickdraw" tells the tale of Sheriff John Henry Hoyle, a recent Harvard graduate, and Deputy Eli as they blunder through Wild West crime in 1870s Kansas.
Hulu
Hulu's drama series "East Los High" chronicles the coming-of-age of a high school group in East L.A. The series marks Hulu's first with an all Latino cast, starring Alicia Sixtos (ABC Family's "The Fosters") and Vannessa Vasquez. The show was renewed for a third season.
Hulu
Continuing with the rise of original YouTube content, "Video Game High School" is a futuristic action comedy that follows BrianD (Josh Baylock), a newly admitted student to VGHS as he navigates the world of competitive gaming making friends and enemies along the way.
YouTube
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Online streaming sites are more popular than ever now that they’re creating original, knockout shows; here are TheWrap’s top picks
The Amazon Studios original series "Transparent" chronicles the abnormal life of the Pfefferman family once it's revealed that father Mort is transgender. The groundbreaking series won the Golden Globe for Best Television Series - Musical or Comedy, and Jeffrey Tambor snagged the award for Best Actor in a Television Series for his portrayal of Mort-now-Maura Pfefferman.
Aviva Kempner is the co-director with Ben West (Cheyenne) of "Imagining the Indian: The Fight Against Native American Mascoting" documentary. Jessie Atkin is the communications coordinator for the documentary.