Two poets, father and daughter, in a dangerous game of words. The mysterious life and death of Tirza Atar (1941-1977) – the daughter of poet Nathan Alterman, one of the all-time pinnacles of Israeli and Jewish culture. Atar composed hundreds of poems and song lyrics that penetrated the hearts of large audiences, wrote popular children’s books, and translated plays staged in theaters. Nevertheless, her fragile, beauteous image and her short, turbulent life remain shrouded in mystery many years after her tragic death at the age of 36.
The film fuses the fascinating parts of the life and work of this slight woman of prodigious talent, whose entire being and output were entangled in her complicated and charged relationship with her father, a national poet. The film includes brief enactments, with the participation of an actress, that converges – along with recollections, song segments, and photos from her private family albums – into a multilayered emotional and lyrical journey that illuminates not only the life and work of Tirza Atar but also the life and work of Alterman.
(Hebrew, with English subtitles, 65 min.)
Written, Directed & Produced by Ari Davidovich
Director of photography: Rotem Yaron
Editor: Tal Rabiner
Original Music: Assaf Amdursky
Sound Design: Aviv Aldema
Research & Production Manager: Ariela Alush
After Effects & Photo Design: Itay Ziv
Visual Research: Eran Litvin
Cast: Anael Blumental (as Tirza)
Voice: Doron Tavori, Asnat Zibil
Produced with the help of:
yes Docu, Maker Foundation, Israel Lottery Council
