Lullaby to My Father
Israel, France, Switzerland / 2012 / 87 min.
Director: Amos GITAI
[Introduction]
Amos GITAI's latest film, "Lullaby to My Father" is a film about his father, renowned architect Munio WEINRAUB GITAI. Munio was born in Silesia, Poland in 1909. At the age of 18, he goes to Germany and studies architecture age of 18, he goes to Germany and studies architecture others. In 1933, the Nazis rise to power, the Bauhaus is closed down, and Munio is branded as being anti-German and arrested. With the aid of friends, he escapes to Basel, Switzerland where he decides to immigrate to Palestine and travels to Haifa. The film is a documentary comprised of file footage, interviews, and dramatized re-enactments of Munio's childhood presented not in chronological order, but back and forth through eras as if a mosaic. From this emerges not only his own father's personal history, but the history of the founding of the Israeli nation. Therefore, it can be said this film is the companion to "Carmel" which portrayed his mother. As with the world premiere screening at the Venice International Film Festival, this film will be screened along with "Carmel".
Born in 1950 in Haifa, Israel. Began making 8mm films independently in 1973 while studying architecture in university. From 1977 onward, made documentaries for ITV, the Israeli state-run television station. In 1982, the controversy over his work "Field Diary" caused him to leave Israel and relocate to Paris. "Esther" (85) was GITAI's first feature-length directorial effort. He returned to Israel in 1993. His filmography includes: "Berlin-Jeruselem" (89), "Yom Yom (Day After Day)" (98), "Kippur" (00), "Kedma" (02), "Free Zone" (05), "Disengagement" (07), among others. Following London, New York, Moscow, Paris, and others, an extensive special screening of his works was also held at Tokyo in 2010, and extending into 2011.
