For an overview of topics covered in the movie, check out director Liz Nord's article below from issue #246 of the legendary music magazine, Maximum Rock & Roll.

"Punk's Not Dead" has been a rallying cry for years now, and I think it would be easy to argue that punk rock is actually on its way to the graveyard. I even saw an article in The New York Times recently describing MTV's plan to make punk the "new hip-hop" in terms of completely saturating the market with anything sounding remotely three-chord-esque. In my book, there's nothing much punk about that. I recently returned, however, from a place where I believe that punk's not dead. That place is a tumultuous little country called Israel. I spent the month of June shooting an independent documentary about the scene there, and I will share some of my impressions in this article.

Like the country itself, the punk scene in Israel is small, young, and passionate. Many of you probably know that there is some kind of scene in Israel, especially if you read the scene reports in this here magazine. Non-MRR readers may have at least heard something about the Israeli Kung-Fu Records band, Useless ID. Their accomplishments, which include touring the U.S. and Europe several times, seem even more impressive now that I have witnessed the scene that they sprouted from.

Opportunities for Bands in Israel
With the exception of Useless ID, most bands in Israel play with very little hope of recouping their costs, let alone making a profit. Alternative culture in general is in its infancy in Israel, so there are very few venues, practice spaces, or independent recording studios. Most of the mainstream venues pay the bands little to nothing when they play there. Furthermore, most of the bands don't have records or merchandise to sell. It was strange for me to go to shows without the typically ever-present merch tables covered in t-shirts, 7"s and buttons. One beacon of light is the Fastmusic label (http://www.fastmusic.co.il), which puts out some punk, indie rock, garage and noise, and also runs the only club in Tel Aviv that invites onto its stage any young band who wants to play. The fact that the living room-sized club, which also hosts a recording studio and practice space in back, is run by musicians on the label, led one band member to compare it to an Israeli Kibbutz.

Despite the limited exposure and lack of profitability, the punk scene in Israel is thriving. The scene is following the historic punk route from other countries, where it becomes even stronger when the political or social situation in the area is intensified. In fact, three or four new bands had their debut shows while I was in the country. This is a big number, considering that there are only around 40 bands in the whole scene. The younger bands are a really promising group of punk idealists, many of whom oppose mandatory military service and some Israeli governmental policies. One example is the hardcore band called Kafa la Panim Shel Limor Livnat, who, despite their newness, have already stirred up controversy in the Israeli press due to their name. It means "Slap Limor Livnat's Face," and Ms. Livnat happens to be Israel's Minister of Education.

One of the more interesting younger bands I saw is called Va'adat Kishut, or "Decoration Committee." They are an all-female (except for their new drummer, Nadav) hardcore band who "decorate" each of their performances with cheap gimmicks, such as throwing glitter and confetti on the crowds. Because the scene in Israel is still in its early stages, many of the bands are not doing anything particularly unique‹their music styles and performances mimic bands that they may have heard from abroad. Va'adat Kishut, however, has a different philosophy. As the lead singer, Jackie, explained to me, "It's not only a punk band, or a girl band. It's a whole artistic concept. It has to do with us being people who make music. We make art. We make zines...Punk is about breaking the grayness."

Politics as Usual?
Just about every punk sub-genre is accounted for in Israel, even if it's by only a few bands each. Ska-punk, which was apparently discovered in Israel not too long ago, is played by bands like Smash4$ and Beer7. There's street punk (Chaos Rabak, the Dead Rabins), hardcore (Soon in Here, Nikmat Olalim), metal (Betzefer), and pop punk, too (Useless ID, Punk Ache). One of the biggest schisms in the scene is between the more politically active bands, and those who just play for fun. This divide exists in most scenes, but it seems particularly poignant in a place as politically charged as Israel. It was easy for me to understand both sides, when hearing about it from various band members. Guy and Ishay from Useless ID described that they play poppy love songs, rather than anti-occupation rants, because their lives are sunk so deeply in the political situation already. They want to use their music as a means of escape from that harsh reality. Guy did give a nod to the political bands in Israel, however, stating, "What's there to be against or protest against in fucking Switzerland? It's so peaceful." Indeed, the political hardcore bands in Israel feel that they have a responsibility to voice their opinions disapproving of everything from the Israeli Occupation to the Religious Right, especially at a time when public criticism of governmental policy is so heavily frowned upon. As Giora, the singer of Nikmat Olalim put it, "There are some countries where the headline news is a couple getting married or a fisherman or something. Here, there are actually things happening and you actually have a chance to change things really dramatically."

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