SCAFFOLDING

Israel/ Poland, 2017, 90 minutes, Colour.
Asher Lax, Ami Smolartchik, Yaacov Cohen.
Directed by Matan Yair.

Scaffolding has a literal meaning as well as a symbolic meaning?

A lot of the action takes place on building sites with literal scaffolding. However, the other theme of the film is education, schooling, life and discipline, family love, as a scaffolding for the maturity of growing children.

The action of the film takes place at the end of the semester. Asher is a 17-year-old (although the actors portraying the students at school look far older). Asher lives with his father, a building contractor. His mother has left to the north years earlier but keeps contact with her son. Asher is an angry young man, outbursts, making demands on people, insulting them, self-focused.
At school, he encounters a sympathetic teacher, Rami, who takes the students through religious traditions as well as teaching them classical Greek literature. Asher is interested in education though finding it difficult to read. His father appreciates education but thinks that literature is not practical for work and earning a living.

There is a complication when the teacher kills himself mysteriously – quite an effect on Asher, wanting to know the reason why, school authorities not speaking, Asher asking the dead man’s wife.

There are also complications with the substitute teacher and Asher’s clashing with her, especially in the final exam, his insulting her and failing.

Asher is not a particularly sympathetic character. But the film is asking questions about his really education for the coming generation and the consequences – and, as Asher speculates at the end, the effect of being loved as well as being beaten as he was growing up.

1. An Israeli drama about young men, education, labour, prospects?

2. The city settings, homes, streets, buildings sites, classrooms? Authentic feel? Musical score?

3. The title, symbolic, the scaffolding for young men and their education and maturity? The literal scaffolding in the workplace?

4. Asher and the relationship with his father? Working on-site? Continuing his schooling? His mother leaving with her boyfriend? Her continual phone calls? His father, stern, understanding education, but very pragmatic about jobs and work? The effect on Asher? His age, experience, friends? Men and women? His outbursts, his rage?

5. The father, illness, preparation for going to hospital, work in contracts, dealing with his son, at home? Going into hospital, the dates and his sons exam dates? Hospital, the surgery, delayed because of blood pressure? The success of the surgery? Coming out?

6. Asher, at school, angry, outbursts? Fights with the young men, going to the principal’s office, his father coming, the threats?

7. The character of Rami? His teaching, knowledge of literature, relationship with his students, there outbursts and his patience, teaching literature, explaining the classics? Vocabulary? The friendship with Asher? Asher giving him his essays? Asher’s outburst in the classroom wanting to know the ending of the play? His later apology to Rami? The preparation for the exams?

8. Rami, personality, at school, afterwards and off duty? The sudden news of his suicide? Not leaving any note? The authorities not giving any information? His wife, coming to the school, discussion the men? Asher later going to the apartment, looking for his essay, looking for documents about Rami?

9. The substitute teacher, Asher and his outburst against her? The principal trying to cope?

10. The photographs, posing, the discussions, the students wanting Rami in the photo? The principal considering it and rejecting it?

11. The oral exam, with Rami, Jewish religious customs, Rami coaxing the stances from Asher? The contrast with the literature exam, his outbursts, criticism of the teacher, her failing him, despite his success in the preliminaries?

12. Asher, his prospects, the past experience, his kindness towards the girl getting a driving license and following her to check if she was successful?

13. At the table, talking with his father? Asking him the effect of his love and yet his beating his son…?