Victory (Hebrew title: The Victors המנצחים), directed by Eliran Peled, is a musical which takes place in the period following the Six Day War of 1967. The film is a parody about war, about bereavement, and about post-trauma. The musical style parodies the euphoria of the post Six Day War period. The film uses a number of strategies to emphasize the parody – stylized sets, soundstage musical numbers, black and white period footage, some of which is shot with the actors in the scenes, and clips from an historical anti-war cabaret number (by Hanoch Levin) which was performed to an angry audience at Kibbutz Netzer Sereni in 1968.
Neta (Yael Stollman) is a kibbutznik who decides to leave
the kibbutz, with her husband, to move to Tel Aviv to become an actress. As her star rises, and she gets some big
parts, her husband returns from the war with PTSD and her best friend’s husband
is killed. She becomes absorbed in his
illness, but the euphoria after the great victory of the IDF in this war wins
out.
The film was made last year, but is now showing in Israeli
cinemas. It was particularly difficult
watching it during this period of the war in Gaza. We are so far from being in a euphoric state
at this time. Watching the soldiers in this film dancing and singing, seeing
the suffering of one soldier with post trauma distress, viewing the brit of a
baby born to a newly widowed woman, and watching the anti-war cabaret scene,
were all difficult in these troubled times.
