On 4 November 1995, the Israeli president Itzhak Rabin was assassinated in Tel-Aviv. As a result, but also following its own course, three months later, The Arena of Murder was made in which the wayward cineaste Amos Gitaï circumscribes a sketch of a country in mourning. With a great diversity of images – extensive travelling shots, interviews, recordings of a rock concert – different aspects of Rabin’s murder and the future of the country are examined in a gentle tempo.The film opens with an interview with Rabin’s widow Lea Rabin, who makes it clear she is still optimistic about the future of the state Israel, despite this cruel and senseless murder. Various parts of the country, such as Haifa, the Gaza Strip and the Golan Heights, are visited: emotionally charged spots filmedin a neutral way. Uri Simchoni, a general from the Israeli army, dwells on the idea of courage. Rock singer Aviv Geffen, who sang for peace with Rabin on the evening of the murder, represents the voice of youth that has had enough of the violence. We hear the voice of Hannah Schygulla speaking the texts. The Arena of Murder is an impressionist ballad, personal diary, road movie and statement. The central theme of the film is how peace can be achieved in Israel and whether the shocking murder of Rabin might contribute to this.
