Ahed’s Knee review: A portrait of trauma, dotted with monologues and whip pans

Acclaimed filmmaker Nadav Lapid’s 110-minute movie in Hebrew language is streaming on MUBI

Avshalom Pollak in a still from Ahed’s Knee

Ahed's Knee

STORY: A noted Israeli film director lands at his native place for the screening of his latest movie, only to realise that some of the bitter episodes from his past still haunt him like a fresh memory. 

REVIEW: Frenzied emotions, distorted scenes and an equally patchy backstory are among the plot devices that Israeli filmmaker-screenwriter Nadav Lapid deliberately employs to narrate the life and journey of a 40-something languishing filmmaker, who is fighting his inner demons and at the same is very angry at the plight of Israeli society. 

The plot revolves around a jagged and visibly disturbed, yet acclaimed independent filmmaker Y (Avshalom Pollak). One of his recent movies has garnered widespread appreciation at the Berlin Film Festival. For his next project, Y is focussing on the story of Ahed Tamimi, a young Palestinian activist, who made headlines after he ended up slapping an Israeli soldier in a fit of anger, just when the news cameras were rolling, and was eventually sent to jail. 

As the narrative of his film, Y wants to use an Israeli man’s tweet, which suggests that Tamimi deserves to be shot in the knee, as the premise. He, thus, starts working on pictures of knees, concentrating on the fragility of the human body amid state cruelty.  

Y is someone who is constantly documenting stuff that he sees or hears. The videos that he captures on his phone camera are also often addressed to his mother, who is probably around or not. While he is still working on his new project, Y decided to head off to Arava, a remote desert valley located on the south of the Dead Sea basin. He is invited there to attend a special screening of his last film, followed by a Q&A session with the audience, at a small library, backed by the Ministry of Arts and Culture. It’s only revealed a little later that Arava also happens to be the place where his roots are, but the memories associated with it are more traumatic than pleasant.  

Nonetheless, oblivious of his past, a young and evidently flirtatious librarian host, named Yahalom (Nur Fibak), welcomes him to Arava. She describes herself as well-read, but only allows access to only certain kinds of books and movies at the library. So, when the director asked her if stuff about love and sex are discussed, she ‘no’, as the authorities do not allow that.

Over time, they develop a strange fondness for each other, which is not precisely romantic but rather one of empathy and affection. It’s also to Yahalom that the director finally opens up about a bitter memory of bullying and abuse back in the day when he was doing his national military service.

Ahed’s Knee is a deeply personal story or, perhaps, even a little inspired by true events. Punctuated by wobbly close-up shots, unbridled monologuing and whip-pans, Nadav comprehensively captures the director’s fragile psyche. Whether it’s about him howling in the desert, slipping into a dirty pond or suddenly lying down on the ground in the middle of nowhere, Avshalom puts up an impressive portrayal of a brilliant yet frantic mind. Some of the flashback scenes of the time when a young Y was in uniform also deserve a special mention. Nur, on the other hand, is demure yet restrained in her acting, depicting an ambitious and resilient small town girl. 

VERDICT: Poignant and profound, Nadav Lapid’s film Ahed’s Knee is a powerful portrait of Israeli trauma. Through a personal story, the director attempts at explaining what many in the artists community around the world feel and go through when they raise their voice against society fixtures.

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