Festivals & Awards

Doc Aviv Documentary Film Festival - Official selection
Courmayeur Noir Festival, Italy 2008 - First prize

Strange Death
2008

Pnina S., Pnina G and Pnina R. want to find out the truth about the rumor that their grandmother was murdered as an act of revenge by members of Nili.

Documentary, 50 min
Video, Beta SP
Language: Hebrew
Subtitles: English

Credits

Directed by - Shachar Magen
Produced by - Amir Harel
Written by - Shachar Magen, Era Lapid

In participation with
Lama Films, Channel 8- Noga Communication, The New Fund for Cinema and Television

Cinematographer - Philippe Bellaiche
Editor - Era Lapid
Sound Design - Aviv Aldema
Music - Ronit Rolland

Story

Pnina Sharon, Pnina Goren and Pnina Ravitz, want to find out if there is any truth in the rumor that their grandmother, Pearl (Pnina) Apelboim (after whom they were named), was murdered as an act of revenge by members of Nili.

Pearl was accused of passing on information about the Nili members, who spied on the Turks for the British and who were finally caught, tortured, committed suicide or were hung. There are those who say that when Sarah Aharonson was being tortured, and her screams of pain were heard all over the settlement, their grandmother danced in the streets.

All this brings the granddaughters and the film maker to re-examine the spying incident that took place during WW1, and to ask how the legend came about; can it be upturned, and who is actually the real hero of the story?
Besides the journey of the 'Pninas', the film also focuses on the people of Zichron Yaacov and their descendants, and proposes to outline their complex relationship with the Aharonson family, which over the years has become a family of heroes, and describe a place that even after 90 years hasn't been able to let go of the past.