TABOO – Amos Guttman

While he was alive, Amos Guttman remained a red flag for the notoriously conservative Israeli film establishment. A Romanian migrant, he, never truly found his place in his new home. He was gay and made the nation’s first movies on the subject. He was an artist who wanted to make films not for the masses but for the few. Conversely, he wanted to make movies that connected with the rest of the world and not only Israel – works that maybe Derek Jarman or Pedro Almodóvar could watch by chance and feel understood.

His Yoram Kaniuk-adaptation Himmo Melech Yerushalaim (1987), painted even the most sacred moments in Israel’s history in campy shades and hues. He was adventurous, but Guttman only made four features before dying of AIDS. TABOO – Amos Guttman is formed by excerpts from his last interview. There are very few new voices to remember him. Melamed is more interested in letting the historical materials (of which there are many!) tell the story. To understand the times is to appreciate the choices Guttman made, on and off the set.

– Olaf Möller

Trailer

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