Incitement - The Cinema Club

In select theaters
January 31^st 2020

122 minutes

Hebrew

Israel

In September 1993, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin announces the Oslo Accords, which aim to achieve a lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians after decades of violence. Yigal Amir, a law student and a devoted Orthodox Jew, cannot believe that his country's leader will cede territory that he and many others believe is rightfully - by the word of God - theirs. As the prospect of a peaceful compromise approaches, Amir turns from a hot-headed political activist to a dangerous extremist, recruiting fighters and stealing weapons to form an underground militia intent on killing Palestinians. After his longtime girlfriend leaves him, Amir becomes even more isolated. He soon learns of an ancient Jewish law, the Law of the Pursuer, that he believes gives him the right to murder Yitzhak Rabin. Convinced he must stop the signing of the peace treaty in order to fulfil his destiny and bring salvation to his people, Amir's warped mind sees only one way forward.

starring...

Yehuda Nahari Halevi

Yigal Amir

AmitayYaish Ben Ousilio

Shlomo Amir

Anat Ravnizky

Geula Amir

Yoav Levi

Hagai Amir

Dolev Ohana

Dror Adani

Raanan Paz

Avis hay Raviv

Sivan Mast

Margalit Har Shefi

Daniella Kertesz

Nava Vaid man

Director, Co-Writer

Yaron Zilberman

Co-Writer

Yair Hizmi, Ron Leshem

Cinematography

Amit Yasur

Music

Raz Mesinai

Editing

Shira Arad, Yonatan Weinstein

Costume Design

Naomi Bar Or, Laura Sheim

77% on the CINEMETER

74% - Dec 15, 2019

Amazing, insightful, revelatory! It makes one lose hope for any coming together for peace, especially "in the name of religion." So much can be translated to U.S. politics now.
San Francisco Member

Riveting humanization of an assassin - great historical perspective.
San Francisco Member

I was rapt throughout. Many of the references to the Talmud, Ashkenazi vs. Sephardic Jews, etc. were clear to me but confusing to my non-Jewish friends with whom I was sitting. While the parallels to the chasm in the U.S. today are significant, a lack of familiarity with Jewish "culture" will not make this movie as meaningful in the U.S.
San Francisco Member

Fascinating film - great production, could have been shorter. It made me want to learn more about the history, and it was not just historical: there are repercussions and implications for today. Great integration of archival footage.
San Francisco Member

The pen may be mightier than the sword, but the WORD can lift the SWORD to act in hate and to kill. But if a picture is worth a thousand words, then perhaps this film can serve as a force for caution and an inspiration to speak more words against hate and the incitements to kill that we hear today.
San Francisco Member

MIL

82% - Jan 5, 2020

Fascinating film that has repercussions even now, 25 years later. As an outsider looking in, with no knowledge of Jewish Law, this film was not justifying Rabin's assassination. Thanks for screening it!
Milwaukee Member

Very thought-provoking--especially at this time in politics.
Milwaukee Member

STL

77% - Jan 5, 2020

Showed tragedy of nationalism and religious zealotry.
St. Louis Member

Moving, depressing, informative. Timely. One thing that does disturb me is that it does seem to encourage hate and violence in name of God. Divisiveness surrounds us and shows results of this thinking.
St. Louis Member

It's important for people to know the dynamics of this region. Even though we knew what was going to happen, the suspense/build-up was great.
St. Louis Member

This film is the epitome of current events (Iran, Iraq, Syria, and U.S.) today. God help us! Tradition plays a major role with no productive results.
St. Louis Member

Powerful film! Families of Yigal and Nava well-portrayed political differences. Yehuda Halevi's performance was extraordinarily good as Yigal Amir. Acting was terrific across the board. Very well done, albeit difficult film to watch. Striking parallels to present horrific situation/issues in the Middle East.
St. Louis Member

A necessary film, once more underlining the constant war between the quest for peace and religious "purity."
St. Louis Member

Relived the actual incident. Didn't know all the background! The world would be different if Rabin had lived. Instead, a corrupt nationalist.
St. Louis Member

Watching a film about a terrorist/assassin was very disturbing, especially this week when violence is escalating in the Middle East. It was interesting to see the U.S. in the Clinton administration involved in this peace process using negotiation . . . as opposed to acting first and explaining later. We are all human beings. Is there so much hate in the world that we can't live in peace? Can we not learn from history? Apparently not. . . as we see the rise in anti-Semitism and ethnic violence currently. As evident of changing times, all opinions were shared by word of mouth, posters, rallies, etc. much slower than via internet and social media! I can't wait to get home to peace & quiet!
St. Louis Member

ATL

81% - Jan 5, 2020

Brilliant filmmaking.
Atlanta Member

Meticulously written, layer by layer, to help us understand why it happened.
Atlanta Member

I am deeply mixed about the character of Yigal. On the one hand, the film reminds me that you cannot always tell what a murderer looks like. On the other, I wanted to see a reason, some understandable explanation for his action. So, in forcing me to grapple with questions, the film does an excellent, albeit frustrating job.
Atlanta Member

Powerful movie that hopefully sheds light on a problem that seems to be getting more prevalent around the world.
Atlanta Member

Although I remember the Oslo Accords and the assassination of Rabin, I cannot believe how much I learned. As conflicted as I was before I saw the movie re the Arab-Israeli conflict, the movie left me even more conflicted. Not only is this problem between Jews and their Israeli neighbors but so prevalent within Israel itself, which is equally alarming and disturbing.
Atlanta Member

Great movie & depiction of the diversity of the people of Israel.

Atlanta Member

Just a reminder of how there are zealots on both sides and why the US should not get too cozy with the crazies in Israel. Horrible. No sympathetic characters. Unrelentingly grim.
Atlanta Member

Can humanity survive religion?
Atlanta Member

BOS

88% - Dec 22, 2019

Remarkably good. Gripping, accurately portrayed, and well-acted.
Boston Member

A powerful docudrama. A great History Lesson.
Boston Member

Intense, dark film. Very compact.
Boston Member

So important in this time of rising nationalism and religious radicalism and violence.
Boston Member

A well crafted psychological and sociological study. Excellent cinematography, editing, and sound.
Boston Member

This film brought the upset, terror and horror of Rabin’s assassination as I knew it, living in Israel at the time.
Boston Member

76% - Dec 15, 2019

Powerful, explosive, passionate and realistic look at how someone becomes radicalized. Terrorism and martyrdom hold hands – all veiled by the ‘will of God.’ Excellent ending to the Cinema Club Fall 2019 season. Thank you.
Greater New Haven Member

Very intense, but powerful. An effective evocation of the hope represented by Rabin, ruined by an assassin. Revealing look at one man’s radicalization. Excellent!
Greater New Haven Member

Compelling, important, well-acted.
Greater New Haven Member

Well done! I found this movie very informative and insightful.
Greater New Haven Member

Very important to see the perspective of the assassin. And I didn’t see any conflict re: empathy. Excellent view of the dangers of fundamentalism. [Note: there were other comments praising the film's boldness in presenting the viewpoint of the assassin.]
Greater New Haven Member

Intricately constructed and very tightly integrated, both technically and dramatically. The metaphor of changing shirts to express the changing roles in the protagonist’s life and psyche was subtle and effective.
Greater New Haven Member

This was an intense and riveting movie. Even though I knew how it was going to end, I was on the edge of my seat. An outstanding exploration of the far right in Israel and of an extremist mind. He wasn’t a fire-breathing crazy person; he was a young man who called his friends ‘bro.’ Great movie! Side note: one of the producers, Sharon Harel, is the daughter of Yossi Harel, the character played by Paul Newman in EXODUS.
Greater New Haven Member

I still have a knot in my stomach. A serious condemnation of what radical preaching – no matter the religion – can produce. Frightening and informative.
Greater New Haven Member

A bit longer than it needed to be, but an effective depiction of what it is to be irrevocably committed to a path of righteous violence.
Greater New Haven Member

Another ‘must see’!
Greater New Haven Member

64% - Dec 22, 2019

Fascinating as a portrait of a zealot’s development. His heart of affirmations and selective focus on certain parts of the Torah’s wisdom writings were haunting.
Washington, DC Member

A riveting film, and very important. The acting was superb. I hope it is factually and historically accurate.
Washington, DC Member

This was a devastating film. Very powerful. I’m glad we showed it even as our holiday film. I would not have gone on my own, but was so grateful to have seen it.
Washington, DC Member

Incitement had some really excellent scenes throughout, and while at times I felt the film could’ve been more focused, the portrayal of Yigal Amir’s environment, and acceptance of calls to political violence, was fantastic.
Washington, DC Member

Like all quasi-documentary films, I try to puzzle out what’s real, what’s staying true to facts and what story the film is trying to tell. This one is excellently told and provokes these questions expertly. Helevi is fabulous, embodying the passion and sincerity of sensitive and intelligent youth and how wrong it can go. Female characters are weaker, pushing me to ponder the male-female inequalities in this society. A very interesting insight for me overall into Israeli Orthodox society.
Washington, DC Member

Greenwich Entertainment