A Portrait of Two Cultural Icons - Mother and Daughter - Hannah Rovina and Ilana Rovina

 I just had a chance to view a wonderful documentary, The Rovina Legacy, which is the story of the Rovina women -- Hannah Rovina, her daughter Ilana Rovina, and the third generation, Maya Weissman. The film, directed by Sigal Rosh, especially provides a portrait of two cultural icons, using family photos, Habima and TV archival footage, and interviews. I thoroughly enjoyed the history and nostalgia provided here.  I am also proud to have been on the committee of the Gesher Multi-Cultural Film Fund, which supported the production of this film.

Hannah Rovina (1888-1980) was a magnificent star of the stage, and a founding member of the Habima Theater since its inception in Moscow and then as it became the National Theater of Israel. She was a legendary figure with great stage presence, who appeared in multiple roles over the years and was awarded the Israel Prize for her contribution to Israeli theater. 

Rovina was born to a religious family in Russia.  They were shocked when she decided to become an actress during those early years.  She starred in the iconic 1932 film Sabra, shot in Palestine, and starred in the original stage version of The Dybbuk as the possessed girl, Leah. Rovina recalls that she played as many as 12 roles as the Jewish mother in plays such as The Eternal Jew, Mirele Efros, Mother Courage, and others.

But she, herself, was not a great mother. At the age of 45 and as the result of a brief love affair with the intriguing poet, Alexander Penn, Rovina gave birth to her daughter Ilana (1934-2020), who became a celebrated singer. Because her mother was too busy to care for her, Ilana was sent to a foster family in Jerusalem for a few years, and then to Kibbutz Geva where she virtually grew up.

Ilana started out her career with a small acting part in the 1962 film, I Like Mike, but was certain that she did not want to pursue a career as an actress.  After studying opera in Milan, she went on to become a singer. She sang with Arik Einstein, was married to Uri Zohar for a short time, and appeared together with Zohar in his famous skit Green Onion. She is well-known for her performance in the Hassidic Song Festival and her entry, Yivereh-checha השם מציון יברכך, which became a big hit.  During the Yom Kippur War, she toured and sang for the troops with Leonard Cohen and Matti Caspi. 

Much of the family story is told by Maya, the third generation, who is very humble in the face of what her mother and grandmother achieved.

This is a story of mothers and daughters, the love that they share, the strength that they embody, the difficult choices made in their personal lives, and the sacrifices that fame often necessitates.

While telling a personal story, The Rovina Legacy (documentary, 2025, 74 minutes) offers a glimpse into a fascinating chapter of Israeli cultural history.  It was produced by Pardes Films and is available from one of the producers, Itay Morag at moragitay@gmail.com.

The Life Story of Margot Klausner

Saga of a Photo, directed by Mooly Landesman, tells the fascinating life story of Margot Klausner -- a woman of great courage and vision, who is credited with being among the founders of the Habimah National Theater in the 1930s and responsible for the building of the first film studio in 1949.  Based on her diary entries, family photos, home movies, personal letters, and using dramatic re-enactments, her granddaughter tells the story of her life in this extraordinary documentary film. 

The film begins with this photo of Margot's wedding in 1926 Berlin to her first husband, Jacques Rosner.  During their honeymoon in Palestine, it is already clear that the young and elegant Margot is excited about the possibilities and challenges of life in Eretz Yisrael.  Her father owned a shoe factory and a chain of shoe stores throughout Europe.  She becomes involved with the Habimah actors who came to Berlin in those years and builds a special relationship with the manager, Yehoshua Brandstatter.  At that time, the actors were not all convinced that they wanted to make aliyah.  But Klausner and Brandstatter prove to be a formidable team, and using some of her family money, they bring the theater troupe to Tel Aviv where they establish the national theater and are part of its management for nine years.  

At this time Klausner and Brandstatter participate in their first film production -- the production of a remarkable landmark documentary film, Land of Promise, with original songs composed by Natan Alterman, which won first prize for documentary film at the Venice Biennale.  After the establishment of the State, they go on to use their personal resources to establish the first major film studio in Israel.  The ground was broken for the new building in 1949, and the film laboratory and sound stage were opened in 1952.  

The film also includes the personal side of Margot's life.  She had two children -- Miriam, the daughter that she had with Jacques, and Amos, the son that she had with Yehoshua.  Miriam's husband, Tzvi Spielman becomes the technical director of the Herzliyah Studios. 

 

Through the life of this remarkable woman, we are offered a glimpse at the history of Israeli theater (with vignettes from early Habimah productions) and milestones in Israeli filmmaking (with scenes from early productions such as Hill 24 Doesn't Answer).   In the 1960s, filmmaking in Israel becomes a bigger business, and the Studios were involved in the production of many important Israeli films such as The Boy Across the Street, I Love You Rosa, The Policeman, Sallah, and Peeping Toms, not to mention the thousands of documentary films, TV productions and newsreels that were processed in the studio labs.  

Margot Klausner was a woman with a vision.  In a country where cinema was not yet considered a cultural art, Klausner realized the importance of developing a film industry.  At the cornerstone-laying ceremony of the studios (July 3, 1949), the statement of goals included: It is the aim of the founders of these Studios to draw the attention of the nations towards our way of life in Israel, through the aid of movies, an art which has such a great influence in the world and reaches into all countries. 

The documentary film, Saga of a Photo (documentary, 80 minutes), is a fascinating look at the life of one woman, combining the personal with the national stories.  The film is available from Ruth Diskin Films.