Michal Bat Adam, Winner of the Israel Prize: “All these years, the critics have only been hitting me.”
Michal Bat Adam, Actress, Screenwriter and director, You will receive the Israel Prize on Independence Day for filmmaking for five decades. “Moshé Mizrahi, My partner, You always said that after I wasn't here, my movies would be discovered.”, She says. “It didn't comfort me., Everyone wants their head washed away a little bit.”
Michal Bat Adam. “The difficulty gave me strength.”
(Photography : Jonathan Bloom)
Michal Bat Adam, Actress, Screenwriter and director, You will receive the Israel Prize on Independence Day for filmmaking for five decades.
Congratulations on winning. How were you informed of her??
“Minister of Education Yoav Galant called and announced. I knew I'd been submitted to the committee., But there were a lot of candidates, so it was very surprising., It wasn't expected at all.”.
Why surprising?
“Because all these years mostly I've been punched., Which is an understatement.. If you knew what I absorbed from the critics, You'd understand how unacceptable this award is.. I had no reason to think that suddenly the bowl would turn over., Although I was glad it happened.”.
What have you absorbed from the critics??
“It seemed to me that anyone pulling the pen felt uncomfortable saying a good word about me., It was already in consensus.. Like a herd, Everyone as one smutto me movie after movie. When I did ‘ Ben takes a daughter’ I chose not to invite visitors and was right, It was a very big success.. Now, When they come and say such beautiful things about me, on the grounds of reward,, It's pleasant and surprising, And a little funny, too.”.
What are the prize grounds?
“Prize Committee, Where my friends were Avi Nesher, Pnina Blair, Dana Modan and Sassoon Gabay, Decided that I am a groundbreaking and groundbreaking filmmaker in Israeli cinema, And that I'm an inspiration to filmmakers who dream and dream of cinema.”.
You can see why the critics turned on you.?
“Someone once tried to explain to me that I was a woman director in a very masculine world., So I must have been an irritating phenomenon and I didn't realize it.. ‘Moments’, The first movie I wrote and directed, People who aren't who-know-what-big-hearted got a little upset about it., Because I never studied film., So how dare I? I never asked for favors, and I didn't suck up to anyone., And these are things that don't inspire sympathy., Because there's the false impression that maybe I'm with my nose up.”.
What's the level of excitement??
“I'm not excited.. Ever since I was born, I've learned to curb emotions., Both joy and sadness. I was born in Afula and grew up in Haifa, Second grade’ I joined my older sister at Kibbutz Merhavia as an outdoor child, Because my mother couldn't take care of us.. She was mentally ill.. There were good moments, and then all of a sudden, lesser moments., So I've made myself accept both the good and the less good in moderation., And it's something that paints the inner existence over the years.”.
Who's the first one you called to tell about the prize??
“I sent WhatsApp to my son., Daniel, Musician who lives in Paris with his family, And I asked if he could talk.. I wanted to tell him by heart., But he replied that he was on the tapes and asked if it was urgent.. I didn't want to get in the way., So I wrote to him that I was accepting the Israel Prize., And he wrote to me, ‘What do you say?’. He was so surprised., Because he knows exactly what I've been through over the years.. I didn't think in my life here I'd get to change my opinion..
“Moshé Mizrahi, My partner, Always told me I was running long distances., And maybe after I'm gone, they'll discover my movies.. But it didn't comfort me., Because everyone wants their head washed away a little bit.”.
He was an acclaimed director who won an Oscar for the foreign film, Too bad he didn't get to see your win.?
“I'm sure he sees and knows, And he must be happy for me., I have no doubt about that.”.
When did you decide to be an actress??
“From the age of eight, I played the violin and I was going to be a musician.. I left the kibbutz in the 10th grade.”B, Because my mom got in bad shape again.. I didn't want her hospitalized because it was a big horror for her to go back there., So I came home and took care of her.. Later, I went to study at the Tel Aviv Academy of Music., I went from violin to viola., And because of the special situation at home, I got permission to work while I was studying.. I've been playing musicals., I started with ’’ With Rivka Raz and Shaike Ophir, Who wanted to 340 Time. I played tonight., I sat with the orchestra under the stage., I looked at the players., And I realized I wanted to be on stage.”.
What did you do??
“I signed up for ’Beit Zvi’. When I told my dad I was studying acting, He was so shaken up., I thought I'd lost my mind.. When he calmed down, he told me, ‘I'll ask for one thing: Don't tell anyone’. For a whole year, I continued to play musicals and studied #8217;’ And I didn't tell anyone I left the Academy of Music.”
How did you get your first job in film??
“After school I played the show ‘Bernarda Alba House’ In the role of an ugly hunch, And Moses (israel), Who then lived in France and made films there, Came to the show to look for an actress for the lead #8216 his film ’. He saw me at the show and told himself it was a shame I was so ugly., Because I'm really good and I could fit in.. During recess, he flipped through the program., And when he saw my picture, he realized he was wrong.. He cast me in the lead role and then his next movie., ‘The house on 3’, Both were nominated for Oscars for Best Foreign Language Film in 1973 and 1974. While working together, we became a couple., Until his death three years ago.”.
He was also the one who pushed you to direct..
“At one point, he went back to work in France., And it was very hard for me that I was here and he was there.. We decided I'd try to live in France., And there I wrote the script for #8216; moments’. I wrote myself a part and suggested he direct., But he asked., ‘Why don't you stage?’. He actually gave me the push and the belief, So I told myself ‘Really why not?’. That was after he got the Oscar for the movie ‘ his whole life ahead of him.’ And was inundated with suggestions, And yet he volunteered to make me the movie..
As a producer, he never set the record straight during filming., Because he realized his presence would make me laugh., And it was so smart and heart-hearted of him.. That's the greatest gift he's ever given me.. I later produced him the last movie he directed before he died., A weekend in the Galilee”.
Why are there so few female directors?
“I don't know how to answer that question.. Making a movie is hard., And it's just as hard for both man and woman., But it's all a question of will., Maybe women don't want enough.. In my first few years, I was the only director. Today there are more women and there are still significantly less than men. The stats are about 22 Percentage of Women Directors, Only 14 A percentage of the Ophir Award nominees for directing were women”.
You had a hard time acting as the only female director in a man's world.?
“Some people haven't had it easy with the fact that I'm a woman., And sometimes it came to unpleasant behaviors., I've been tested.”.
for example?
“I asked to put on a lens. 40 And his name is Lens 50, Thought I wouldn't feel. I told, ‘Excuse me, That's not what I #8217;, And immediately understood and changed. But I must admit, most men carried me for applause., I was treated like a king's daughter.”.
You've also encountered sexual harassment.?
“The feeling that you were allowed to be touched existed in those years., But it's precisely in my movies that I don't.. It was more present in the theater., And I've also experienced it personally on my flesh.. There was no getting away from it because that's how this world went back then.. It was obviously unbearable., But I knew how to defend myself.. I think I was lucky to understand that I didn't have to agree., What many other actresses didn't realize”.
How many movies have you staged??
“12 And half movies, It 12 Movies and one TV drama that I define as half”.
Which one do you like best??
“I won't even say that to myself.. Every movie has its own place., I'm connected to every one of them., And they're all part of me.”.
What are you doing today??
“Working on a new movie. Unfortunately, the coronavirus stopped us a little bit., And now we're going back to work.. I'm just casting and looking for locations for the shoot., But I don't like to talk about an unborn movie.. Additionally, I teach acting and also teach students to direct actor training.”.
How are you going to leverage winning the Israel Prize??
“I hope that in the wake of winning, everyone will see my movies.. I know the movie channel's going to have a special broadcast day for the ceremony., And the Cinematheques have also announced that they will be screening the films.. After the visitors almost eliminated any possibility of coming and watching them, Gestures like this make me happy.. People who got to watch my movies told me they didn't understand how they didn't see them when they came out., But I'll tell you how it happened.: Because they read in the paper that there's nothing to see.. I thank God for giving me the strength not to be arrested for it., They couldn't resent me.. After the lynching’ & Lover‘ #8217;, According to A.B.'s book. Joshua, Everyone thought I wouldn't make any more movies., Because it was horrible., But I kept doing mine my way.. Vice versa, That difficulty gave me strength.”.
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