LO ROIM ALAICH (INVISIBLE)

Israel, 2011, 90 minutes, Colour
Ronit Elkabetz, Evgenia Dodena.
Directed by Michal Aviad.

A film for justice. Although the focus of this film is on crimes of rape, the effect on victims and the processes of law, it opens with sequences of Palestinians picking olives in the groves along with left-wing Israeli protesters, then an attack on the workers by Israeli militia – it is all being filmed by Israeli film-makers.

Nira, the director (Evgenia Dodina), recognises one of the protesters as Lily (Ronit Elkabetz), a fellow victim 20 years earlier of a serial criminal nicknamed the Polite Rapist by police and media because of his manner and his talking to his victims during their ordeals.

Lily finds Nira’s approaches intrusive but realises that she can no longer repress the memories. They have affected her relationship with her husband and her adult children who feel alienated by her. Nira is more settled with her husband and young daughter.
The film shows the growing friendship between the two women, their tracking down documents about the cases, finding the rapist has been released after ten years of a thirty year sentence and judged to be no longer a threat to the public by a psychiatrist and a magistrate. The women gather testimonies from other victims and plan to make a film.
While the issue is a burning one, the treatment here is that of measured passion, ending with dismaying statistics about the incidence of rape worldwide. Ecumenical prizewinner in the Panorama section of the Berlin Film Festival.

1. The film’s impact as drama? As film about human rights, justice?

2. From Israel, Tel Aviv, ordinary life, homes, jobs? The olive groves? The musical score?

3. The Palestinian background, the workers in the olive groves, picking the olives, working together, the film being made, the editing? The attack of the military? The ousting of the Palestinians? Violence, visual close-ups? Human rights in Israel? The Israeli activists?

4. Nira and her film, her seeing Lili, the memories and the effect on her? Lili and her social rights activities?

5. The film based on testimonies and an actual story? From 1978? The rapist, his being called the Polite Rapist? The irony? The police and the media and their naming him? The sixteen victims? His being caught, sentenced to thirty years? The release after ten years, the comments of the judge, the psychiatrist? The women’s response?

6. Nira being intrusive in Lili’s life? Lili’s reaction? The phone calls, the visits? Lili and her training the dancers? At home, the tensions, her husband and the separation, the son and his argumentative tone, the daughter and her being attacked and her mother not listening? Her puzzles? Meeting the man, the sexual encounter? Explaining her situation to her daughter? Her daughter’s sympathy?

7. Nira and her work, her husband and daughter, Googling and investigating, the archives and the photocopying? The testimony? The decision to make the film?

8. The two characters, their differences, the meetings, the tensions, drinking, smoking? The mutual understanding and help? Exploring their awareness?

9. The filming of the rapist’s house, his renovations? The film stopping and leaving the challenge to the audience?

10. The importance of these campaigners, activities, women’s issues, justice?