On a balmy Jerusalem night on Aug. 18, the National Library of Israel’s Docu.Text festival kicked off with a gala premiere of the documentary film “Yehoram Gaon” at an outdoor screening in the adjacent Idan and Batia Ofer Park.
The film presents Gaon, 85, one of Israel’s most famous singers and actors, as “a complicated figure—a man and not an icon of Israeli culture,” the NLI said in a press release. “In an intimate, cinematic one-man show, he shares his story with those who grew up on his classic songs and the numerous films and shows he starred in, as well as those too young to remember them.”
Gaon’s career spans decades, from the Yarkon Bridge Trio (with Arik Einstein and Benny Amdursky) and the musical and film version of “Kazablan” to the seminal TV sitcom “Krovim Krovim” (“Near Ones, Dear Ones”) and, more recently, the popular sitcom “Sabri Maranan.”
In between, he was also a regular Israel Radio presenter and a political right-winger who served as deputy mayor of Jerusalem and as a member of the Jerusalem Municipal Council from 1993 to 2002, holding the portfolio for Cultural Affairs and Special Education Needs.
“Like Shoshana Damari, Shaike Ophir, Yossi Banai and Arik Einstein, Yehoram has left a mark on Israeli culture and his story is, in many ways, the story of Israel itself,” the NLI said in its press release.
According to the filmmakers, “while the Israeli public views him as an imposing figure—singer, actor, radio host and eternal Jerusalemite—few are aware of his wild youth, family background, sharp wit, reclusive nature, or his true social and political views.”
“The film introduces a Yehoram Gaon they have never known, who, despite being lauded and showered with admiration, lives a solitary life, far from the public eye,” they said in the press release.
Gaon, along with filmmakers Morris Ben-Mayor, Kobi Farag and Shay Lahav, attended the packed premiere. Tsila Hayun, head of the NLI’s Culture and Visitors Department, and festival director Ruty Rubinshtein, introduced the guest of honor.
Following the screening, a visibly moved Gaon revealed that this was the first time he had seen the final work, expressed his gratitude to the filmmakers and offered a special thanks to the audience, which gave him a standing ovation.
The Docu.Text festival, now in its 10th year, presents five days of international and local premieres as well as more than 20 high-quality contemporary documentaries from Israel and around the world.
