Rehearsing the Spectacle of Spectres

Created in 2014, the work focuses on Kibbutz Be’eri - one of the Israeli communities most affected by the October 7 attacks on the Gaza border.

The Hebrew word ‘kibbutz’ means ‘gathering’. Founded in 1946, Kibbutz Be’eri’s life is still shaped by the idea of the collective. In static and gliding shots through the exterior and interior spaces of the kibbutz, Evron and Krieger direct the viewer’s gaze to public meeting places that provide a space for the collective. These film sequences alternate with portraits of kibbutz members reciting the poem Rehearsing the Spectacle of Spectres by Anadad Eldan (b. 1924). As the ‘kibbutz poet’, Eldan writes librettos for the community’s ceremonies and he is also a published author of lyric poetry. He is known for his alliterative style, a modern expression of Biblical Hebrew. The members of Kibbutz Be’eri are seen in single shots and multiple layered compositions. Sometimes, only their recitation is heard in the audio track. The lines of the poem and the filmic realisation speak of the wistfulness that arises when seeking harmony between individual and community, a harmony which is difficult to achieve.

The video opens and ends with aerial shots exposing the geographical location of the kibbutz, neighboring with the Gaza Strip. In this region of political tension, many peace activists from Be’eri have worked for coexistence. They were also among those killed in the recent terrorist massacre. The Media report over 100 dead and an unspecified number kidnapped to Gaza. Hagay Avni ז״ל, one of the participants appearing in the film and a member of the defense unit of the kibbutz, was killed in action against Hamas. Despite their advanced age, the Eldans survived the attack.

(Hebrew with English subtitles)