Full Description
Tamar Tal’s poignant, prize-winning documentary tells the story of 96-yearold
Miriam, the remarkable widow of Czech-born, Israeli photographer Rudi
Weissenstein, as she and her grandson Ben defend their family’s Tel Aviv
photo studio from demolition. An official photographer of the Israeli
Declaration of Independence, Weissenstein documented the country’s
political and daily life until his passing in 1992. He opened the Pri-Or studio
in 1940. Though stuffed with his prints and over a million negatives of his
work, the city wants to tear it down to make way for a high-rise development.
Grandmother and grandson cope not only with relocation but also the acutely
painful circumstances surrounding the death of his parents. As they interact
in ways by turns blunt and comic, the movie becomes a love story spanning
three generations. It also offers a visual ode to Weissenstein, with moving
montages of his stunning black & white photographs—including vivid portraits
of a young and acrobatic Miriam.
