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Small,
Young and Passionate
Among the bands documented are Chaos Rabak (pictured), Smash4$ (whose members are Olim from Russia), Nikmat Olalim, Soon in Here, Vaadat Kishoot (an all-girl hardcore band), and others. "The movie is about Punk and Israeli counter-culture, in the broad sense of the word", says Oded "Gutzy" Idan, the self-described documenter of the Israeli Punk scene, who is helping out in the production of the film. And the sense is indeed broad the film also follows the struggle of the Activist Punks in protests against the separation wall on the one hand, and against genetically modified food on the other. As opposed to them, there are interviews with members of other bands, who wash themselves of political activism, claiming they wish to escape the harsh reality. Other issues discussed in the film are the question of military service and the terror attacks (one such attack, in Miron Junction, claimed the life of Omri Goldin, frontman of Ha Pussy Shel Lucy). Nord returned to California and is now searching for further financing of the film. In the meantime, Director of Photography Steve Lerner, has arrived in Israel. Lerner, himself an active musician in the San Francisco area music scene, has been filming the bands during shows (and protests), and was pleasantly surprised by the local Punks. "I am very impressed by the intelligence, maturity, and musicianship of the Punk bands I have met and seen live", he says. "I am also surprised by how young the fans are. Also, I've been to the Smash4$ apartment, and saw, instead of a house covered in graffiti and broken bottles, a spotlessly clean place. I'm not sure if this is the result of their character, or the fact that they are children of Jewish mothers" One of the stronger scenes of the film, Nord notes in the film's website, was in the entrance to Maccabi Music Factory, before a Chaos Rabak show. A car stopped next to the pierced and mohawked crowd, and some religious guys in long ear curls came out of it. The director thought a fight was about to break, when one of the Punks ran to one of the religious guys and embraced him. It turned out that he was a band member's brother, who came to see him live. "Now that is Israel", says Nord.
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Liz
Nord, a filmmaker and graphic designer from California, is currently
working on a documentary centered on the young Israeli Punk bands. Nord,
who is active in the San Francisco Punk scene, arrived in Israel last
June, meaning to make a film about Haifa Punk band Useless ID, currently
enjoying success abroad, thinking it to be the only Punk band in Israel.
Nord even decided to call it "Useless Movie", but discovered with time
that the real story is actually in the lively Punk scene and the members
of the different bands. "Like the country itself, the punk scene in
Israel is small, young, and passionate", states Nord in an article in
the November issue of "Maximum Rock and Roll" magazine. 