10 Friday, September 5, 1975
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Prominent Soviet Film Director Makes Home in Israel
By SYBIL KAUFMAN
movement between ballet try's generations of conflicts
and gymnastics. She also and confrontations, and the
has worked as his assistant land and the people.
Israel's entry to the on
all his films.
"Three and One" was sub-
Cannes Film Festival this
Before completing his sequently submitted to the
year was the movie, "Three studies in 1958, he prepared Cannes Film Festival as the
and One." Set in and around his first full-scale film.
official Israeli film. For rea-
the Red Sea resort town of Shortly after, he received a sons unknown to Kalik, he
Eilat, it takes place a week "golden diploma," compara- was
told that the French did
before the outbreak of the ble to graduating with hon- not accept it as a regular en-
Yom Kippur War. ors. Then, as is customary try and instead planned to
The story concerns a in the Soviet Union, the
it outside the frame-
prominent Israel business- "distribution commission" show
work of the competition.
man and former soldier who sent him to Kishinev, capi-
Kalik feels it will take at
has left his life in Tel Aviv to tal of Moldavia a provincial
least one more picture un-
live on the beach. The ar- city with a small film stu-
rival of his son,•who tries to din. For the next three til he considers himself an
"Israeli" film director.
persuade him to return years, he worked in Kishi- Professionally, he is satis-
home, develops into a love- nev, directing three films.
quadrangle with the fath- The film, "Following fied with Israel, but he
feels a lack of environ-
er's new -
found girlfriend the Sun," produced there ment, the artistical cine-
and her boyfriend.
in 1961, aroused much matographical element,
The film is by Michael talk. Although it was in- surrounding him. Al-
Kalik, the first prominent vited to enter interna-
Soviet movie director to emi- tional film festivals, the though it exists in Israel,
grate from Russia to the Soviet government would it is not enough for him.
"This doesn't mean I'm
West. He is a dynamic, ex -
not give their permission
citing, vibrant individual as because they said it was going to look for it some-
where else. It can be devel-
he talks about himself not typical of Soviet films. oped here."
through a friend who tran- Finally, in 1962, it was
At the present time, Kalik
slates simultaneously from shown publicly, and was
is writing a script which is
Russian into English.
awarded first prize at the slightly autobiographical.
Kalik was born in 1927 Helsinki film festival.
He says of it: "It. is a comedy
in Moscow. His father was
As a result of this honor,
a Russian theater actor. the MosFilm Studio felt ob-
He grew up with no Jew
liged to invite Kalik to re-
ish background, no Jewish turn to Moscow and work Histadrut Reports
traditions in what he calls for them.
an "assimilated family."
From 1958 - 70, Kalik di- Record Donations
The only Jewish thing he rected seven major films
LOS ANGELES (JTA) —
recalls are legends or sto- and was constantly in con- Receipt of $1.1 million, the
ries which his grand
flict with the authorities. largest contribution in the
mother told. His last four films caused 54-year history of the Israel
In 1951, during his third scandals because they each
Histadrut Campaign in the
year of studying film direct- had a Jewish character.
United States, has been re-
ing, he criticized the anti-
In October 1970 Kalik ported here by the West
Jewish policies of the Soviet applied for an exit visa and Coast office of the fund-
government, particularly was refused. Expelled from raising drive for Israel's la-
the closure of the Jewish the Union of Cinematogra- bor, health, education and
(Yiddish) theater and other phers, with no source of in- welfare federation.'
Jewish institutions. Making come, the authorities perse-
The amount included
his criticism public, he cuted him and prepared a $900,000 from Mrs. Nettie
talked to other students.
criminal case against him. Miriam Gorov and $200,000
He was arrested with four
the next year, a de-
""--- , indents by the secret During
legation from mu..vii n, from Meyer Feldman, two
police and 'me:, ---4-,A a
Histadrut admirers from
nCtitelins asked him to return
_ A
mbn first met
especially big case against
to work and -«>i
his_ and arranged their benenie-
him and the others, under application for an exit visa. tions shortly before their
the title "Anti-Soviet. Youth The delegation left and deaths during the past year,
Terrorist Organization." strangely the criminal through their estates.
The group was judged by a case was closed. Three
military tribunal and all months later, Kalik's visa
were sentenced to death by was approved and he and
1 shooting. Because of their
young age (Michael was 24), his family left the Soviet
the sentences were com - Union in November 1971.
In Israel, after learning
muted to 25 years imprison - Hebrew for half a year, he
ment.
wanted to again work di-
Kalik spent the next year recting films. For a year
in solitary confinement in a and a half he taught both
prison. Then he was trans -
theory and practical film
fe•red to a camp in Siberia production, wrote. two
where he spent a year and a scripts and raised money
half.
for his first Israeli film.
"In this period in prison Although interrupted by
and in the camp, I became the Yom Kippur War in
a Jew. In the camp I got December 1973 he continued
acquainted with Jews and working, and devoted all
Zionists. Although I was 1972 to preparing, shooting,
sent to the camp for the editing, producing and sell-
crime of being a Zionist, I ing the film. "Three and
was nothing of the kind. I One," which premiered in
became a Zionist in the Israel in early May, was
camp." prompted by the Maxim
Besides his sense of Jew- Gorki story, "Malva." Re-
ishness, Kalik sees the pe- membering its schematic
Hod in the camp and prison arrangement of a woman, a
as the most spiritual in his man, his son and another
life." man, everything fell into
After Stalin's death, his place for Kalik, since he had
case was reviewed and he already decided to set the
was freed in 1954. Kalik was film in Israel.
then reinstated in the Insti-
Kalik explains that the
tute of Cinematography. He film can be viewed on sev-
was introduced to a Jewish eral different levels. The
girl at a social gathering at average cinema-goer will see
the home of a Jewish com- a love story with sexual
poser. He and Shoshana movements and drama. The
were married in 1956. Shos- "intellectual" cinema-goer
hana is a teacher of calis- will see additional levels —
28000 Telegraph Rd.
thenics, the form of hod Y Israel and its fate, the coun-
(Copyright 1975, JTA, Inc.)
-
of a Russian immigrant and
his adventures in Israel,
which becomes a tragicom-
edy. In the final analysis, it
will be sad."
Kalik also feels he has a
particular duty, some time
in the future, whether
within or outside Israel, to
direct a film connected with
what he saw and experi-
enced in the Soviet Union.
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