Bonim V'Lohamim
This historic document of Palestine during the tumultuous 1920s includes footage from three rare films by Ya'akov Ben Dov, the father of Hebrew cinema. Preserved in a joint project by the National Center for Jewish Film and the Israel Film Archive, these works include Return to Zion (1920-21), The Rebirth of a Nation (1923), and Romance of Palestine (1926). Considered lost for more than 70 years, the films depict the early builders of the Zionist vision who pioneered the Third Aliyah and the Fourth Aliyah and contain images of settlements and activities in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Rishon le Zion and Old Jaffa. From this rare archival footage, director and scholar Ya'akov Gross has created a vital and accessible look at a formative period in Israeli history whose legacy continues to influence Israeli politics today.