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Screening will start at 12:00 Noon US EST; 7:00 PM Palestine Time, 80 minutes, Hebrew with English subtitles, 2021. The film screening will be followed by Q&A discussion with film Director Michal Weits.
About the Film
The Jewish National Fund's Blue Boxes were part of a successful fundraising campaign to support the purchase of land in Palestine. Joseph Weits, the filmmaker's grandfather, was the man who orchestrated the acquisition and expropriation of Palestinian lands. Weits's private diaries reveal an uncomfortable truth.
The Jewish National Fund's Blue Boxes were part of a successful fundraising campaign to support the purchase of land in Palestine. Joseph Weits, the filmmaker's grandfather, was the man who orchestrated the acquisition and expropriation of Palestinian lands. Weits's private diaries reveal an uncomfortable truth.
MICHAL WEITS , Film Director
Michal Weits is an Israeli documentary director and producer. Head of the documentary department at HSCC – Slutzky Communications. Studied at the “Sam Spiegel” film and television school. Former head producer of the leading Israeli documentary Channel 8 (HOT network).
At HSCC – Slutzky Communications, an Israeli television content company which holds and operates three of the most popular and prominent channels in HOT (the largest broadcasting platform in Israel), Michal is responsible for managing the documentary department, in terms of both content and production. The position includes managing productions' budgets and production teams, working with broadcasters, and initiating productions of international documentary projects.
In 2016 Michal Founded "Tape Runners", an independent production and distribution company. Tape Runners' titles include: Director: "Blue Box" (2021), Best Research award, DocAviv film festival; Production: "Wall" (2017), Best Documentary award, DocAviv film festival. Distribution: "The Decent One", "No Place on Earth", and many more.
DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT
I belong to a generation of Israelis, raised on the myth: 'A land without a people for a people without a land'. We were raised on the myth of the Hebrew pioneers, draining the swamps and building the new towns and villages, which we now call home.
We were raised on the myth of the Jewish National Fund’s blue boxes, where people put their spare change to help raise money for the noble mission of acquiring the historic land of Israel.
Those little boxes changed the face of the Middle East. The story behind how Israel obtained the land it sits on is one of the most sensitive topics that nobody really wants to talk about even today.
Joseph Weits was the man who conducted this land takeover as the head of the Jewish National Fund. He was also my great grandfather. I didn’t know anything about the dark side of grandpa’s career. In my family, we never talked about it. I was raised on the myth of him, as a hero. Only when I started reading his personal diary, I discovered that history can be told in many ways, also inside my family. And that my family, just like my country, chose to tell us a different story. These diaries are a missing link, telling a remarkable story of how one national narrative was created, even at the expense of another.
I decided to interview my family members. This is the very first time that we’ve had an open discussion about this part of our legacy. It’s been both a painful and enlightening process for all of us. When I was 12, I found the diaries and started to read. Since then, I cannot let it go.
It is a great responsibility for me to tell the story they hold. It wasn’t an easy journey for me, but this confrontation with the past, can help us understand our future.
Michal Weits