A Film by Assi Dayan (Israel, 2011, 88 Minutes, Hebrew. Cast: Assi Dayan, Michael Hanegbi. Yosef Carmon, Shmil Ben Ari, Rivka Michaeli, Shlomo Vishinsky, Shlomo Bar-Shavit, Lucy Dubinchik and Tzofit Grant).
Assi Dayan's long awaited film, Dr. Pomerantz, starring Dayan himself, with a supporting cast of much beloved actors including Yosef Carmon, Shmil Ben Ari, Rivka Michaeli, Shlomo Vishinsky and Shlomo Bar-Shavit.
Dr. Yoel Pomerantz, 64, is an unemployed clinical psychologist who lives in poverty with his 30 year old son Yoav in a 12th floor apartment. Pomerantz volunteers at ANA, the psychology hotline and is an expert at dialoguing with potential suicide callers. Occasionally he suggests that they come to his clinic for private therapy sessions.
A long standing patient, Mr. Schtark is offended when Dr. Pomerantz is late for their scheduled appointment. As a result Shtark jumps to his death from the 12th floor balcony. Shtark's suicide completely changes Pomerantz's life. He decides to rent out his apartment to potentially suicidal tenants for enormous sums of money.
Funny, sad, philosophical, this black comedy raises the question of why we live or more correctly, why we don't give up on living. . "Life is a terminal illness and only those who commit suicide beat death by taking over the decision of when to die", suggests Pomerantz.
AWARDS, FESTIVALS & SCREENNINGS
Best Script Award, Haifa International Film Festival 2011
QUOTES
After a long cinematic silence, Assi Dayan is back. To anyone who doubted Dayan's ability to function these days in filming a movie - and in the double role of director and lead actor - he proves on the set that the screen animal in him is still alive and kicking. Nirit Andeman, Haaretz.
Dayan's new film is funny, touching and horrifying; it has excellent dialogue, is well directed and photographed, and its cast is very skillful. When I voice these compliments to Dayan, he says he has to agree.Uri Klein, Haaretz
Best Script Award, 