Sunday 20 March 2011

First Israeli Horror film ever! Rabies



Very intriguing news, Israeli cinema has produced its first horror film called Rabies, which has just been shown at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York. It should not come as a surprise however, as the horror genre has always been a reflection of the troubled times and fears of society.

And in an interview, directing duo Ahron Keshales and Navot Paposhaddo, have confirmed that the film is intended as a dark and twisted allegory about the state of Israel, and the harshness of living there. They mention not just the ongoing conflict, but some other issues such as the endemic corruption and the scandal of a former president on rape charges. 



And while some viewers have questioned the need to show more violence and atrocities on screen in a country that has seen its fair share of them, the directors defend their choice of genre, explaining how horror and violence can act as a catharsis. They also bemoan the lack of variety of Israeli cinema, which seemingly only produces war movies or family dramas.

The storyline takes two well worn sub genres, the "infected" and the slasher, and interestingly mixes them together, which makes me wonder why nobody has thought about this before. So Cabin Fever meets Friday the 13th, as it were.



The trailer does not look particularly original apart from the unusual setting, but this was a labor of love, shot in 19 days on a shoestring budget, and the pair quotes the usual names George Romero, Dario Argento... but also Park Chan Wook as their influence, so definitely two men of impeccable tastes! No US/UK release date as yet so let's hope its presence at Tribeca will generate some interest.




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