ZERO MOTIVATION
Israel, 2014, 97 minutes, Colour.
Dana Igvy, Nelly Tagar, Shani Klein.
Directed by Talya Lavie.
Some commentators have suggested that while motivation is appropriate the title of the film in translation, the original Hebrew is better translated as “people skills”. This describes the three central characters. People skills are not their forte.
This is an Israeli multi-award-winning film, was written and directed by a woman and has women as the main characters, a film about women, their personalities, interactions, and how the Israeli Army deals with women, especially in administrative roles.
This may make the film sound much more serious than it is. In fact, it is a comedy, with an ironic, very often sardonic treatment, with some slapstick moments – and with quite some pathos.
The film consists of three stories: the first is called The Replacement, the second is The Virgin and the third, The Commander. The first story is about a young woman who arrives at the base and is seen by Daffi, who works in the office, in charge of shredding papers, as the replacement she has been writing to officials about, for her anxiously-sought move to Tel Aviv. In fact, the new girl is an impostor, not detected by any of the guards or the authorities, who is really coming to the base to make contact with the soldier that she had met earlier and with whom she is infatuated. Quite a lot of complications, rather to the detriment of the soldier in the film’s criticism men and the exploitation of women.
Another key character is Rama, the female officer who heads the administrative bureau, demanding, lacking people skills, impossibly bossy, who imposes her moods and commands on the girls who spend a lot of time trying to avoid her or defy her.
The second story focuses on Zohar, tough girl, with more than a touch of what people call “attitude”. She doesn’t want to be in the army, whiles a lot of time away, is friendly with Daffi but has impeded the request for her transfer to Tel Aviv. With Daffi moved to officer training, Zohar is left alone to think about herself, especially sexual relationships – with a rather sobering experience with a visiting paratrooper who turns out to be certainly not the man of her dreams, but who is completely humiliated by Irena, who takes up Zohar’s support. There is a climactic moment when she is commanded by Rama to tidy the office – and does so in a shredding spree.
The third story has Daffi back after her officer training, still dreaming of Tel Aviv but transferred back to the base to take Rama’s place. The tension between Zohar and Daffi reaches a height, including a battle in the office with each having a staple gun and firing and Daffi making quite a mess with the computers.
Obviously, this film will make an impact on Israeli audiences, especially with their experience of military national service and its consequences – audiences around the world will observe with a mixture of humour and wondering what the long-term consequences will be for the characters caught up in this military service.
1. An Israeli film? Serious? Humorous? Universal applications?
2. Israeli military bases, the desert, the officers, offices, administration, training, authorities?
3. A women’s film, writing and direction, central characters, women’s issues, women in the Israeli Army? The comments on men, authorities, soldiers? Sexual relationships, exploitation? Sardonic? Ironic? Funny?
4. The three stories, the women, Daffi and Zohar and the cycle?
5. The Replacement: the women on the bus, coming back after the weekend, Daffi, a reluctance to return, all her applications for a transfer to Tel Aviv, Zohar waiting for her, friendship? Their personalities? The new girl, the discussions, taking her round, the work? The daily routine unfolding, the officers and their meeting, the coffee, late, Runner and her anger? Each of the different girls in the office? The two singing, Irena and her Russian background? The details of the work, petty work, the officer in charge of shredding?
6. The replacement girl, eager, going to the room to her boyfriend, his having another woman in his bed, her intruding, the declaration of love, his being taken aback, the desperation, his putting her off? The discovery of the other woman? Going back and gruesomely killing herself? Reactions?
7. Zohar’s story, as a virgin, in herself, her work, the two years national service, lazy, playing competitive games on the computer, breaking records? The friendship with Daffi? The discovery that she had not sent her many letters to the authorities, Daffi explanations of the letters to Rama, wanting a transfer? Zoahr not wanting her to go? Her going to the officers’ course? Zoahr, preoccupations about sex, training to be on guard, the breaking of the bed, Irena going into the dead girl’s bed, experience, the issue of the ghost? The office work, checking the details of the documents, Rama telling Zohar to take Irena to the infirmary? Not going? Zohar, being on guard, bailing up the paratrooper, the discussions, his going to the canteen, the date for the following night, Zoahr going, the other girls coming to the table, and Zohar going to the ladies’ room, his waiting for her? The rough sex? Irena, the gun, making the paratrooper strip, with the garbage bin? The return, Rama making her clean up the office, the next morning, everything clean – and all the shredded paper in Rama’s office, her immersion in the shredded paper?
8. Daffi, training to be an officer, the hardships with the physical demands? At the base, Rama canvassing a promotion, not getting it? The farewell party, the cake, her speech interrupted? Daffi, the interview for the job, back to the base, her weeping? Taking Rama’s place, the routines, the coffee? Zohar ignoring her, playing the games on the computer? Daffi, desperate, trying to delete the games from the computer? The computer expert and the digitising of all the documents? His losing material because of Daffi? Copies of all her letters on the notice boards? The two girls and the cell, the fight with the staple guns? Daffi going to Tel Aviv, ambition fulfilled? Zoahr remaining at the base, the reconciliation, friendship?
