By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Director: Shlomi Elkabetz
Original language title: Cahiers Noirs
Country: israel
Year: 2022
Running time: 209
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14775800/reference/
Diane says: “Another doc by a filmmaker who is compelled to shoot almost every moment of their life. Shlomi Elkabetz, brother of acclaimed Israeli actress/director Ronit Elkabetz, combines scenes from everyday life, from their film GETT, and from the making of GETT. It was during the filming of GETT that Ronit developed symptoms of the lung cancer that took her life a couple of years later. This doc is an homage to Ronit.
“Three things I didn’t like: the orchestral music–mostly from film composer Berrnard Hermann; the shaky and poorly lit archival footage; and how Shlomi positions himself as the love of Ronit’s life (she was married–her husband has a very small presence in the film).
“But two aspects made the film worth the price: first, a hilarious scene in which Ronit goes on a long riff, making fun of the suggestion of GETT’s producers to use a Mahler symphony as its soundtrack. Second, in an extraordinary creative move, Shlomi substitutes fiction for reality, using the lead character from GETT, Viviane Amsalem as played by Ronit, to play the role of Ronit, now arguing not for a divorce, but for her life.
“2 cats, 3 if you’re a big Ronit fan. Screened online as part of the International Documentary Association’s festival.”
Black Notebooks: Ronit