Walk on Water

I braved the rain & slosh (twice - once I forgot my wallet) and made it out to the local independent video store. Over a smoked salmon sandwich and some Pinot Noir (they don't go together btw - bad decision), I watched an interesting Israeli film called "Walk on Water". It's about a Mossad assassin, Eyal, who's tasked with being a tour guide to a young German, Axel. Turns out Axel's grandfather, Alfred Himmelman, was a Nazi and may still be alive. "I want to get to him before God does", says Menachem - the Mossad bigwig. It's more of a personal mission - Menachem was one of the few survivors of Himmelman's cleansing.

Axel is visiting his sister, Pia, who we learn is estranged from her family and lives on a kibbutz. Axel is an exhuberant young man, spontaneous and full of life. Eyal is cold and colorless - probably the result of years of Mossad training. The movie is about contrasts - between Axel and Eyal, gay and straight, Mossad agents and kibbutz farmers, Arabs and Jews, Germans and Jews, older Germans and younger Germans. It's also about the friendships and bonds that develop between seemingly opposite characters. It seems like a lot of material for a feature length movie. Although it feels rushed at times, the issues are all laid out there one by one.

I won't give away too much, but towards the end we find that the movie's two main characters have rubbed off on each other. I'd highly recommend it if you need a break from Hollywood and Bollywood drivel. Along the way, we're also treated to some interesting scenery from Turkey, Israel, Palestine and Berlin.