Naomi Levari, Draft

Lesson Plan

Written in cooperation with

The Sam Spiegel Film and Television School, Jerusalem

Recommendations:
This lesson is directed towards older high school students. It requires not only background
knowledge about Israel and the history of the army, but also maturity to discuss difficult questions
about societal values, maturity and making decisions that might conflict with parental values,
putting one’s life at risk and arguing one’s beliefs. Also, this lesson requires time, not only to
teach critical background information but also to allow students to process challenging emotional
questions. It can be especially interesting to bring this lesson to students in their senior year of
high school, as they are the same age as Israeli youth that are about to be drafted. It can also be
very meaningful to teach this lesson around the time of Yom HaZikaron L’Chalalei Tzahal
(Memorial Day for Fallen Soldiers in the IDF).

This Lesson Plan will present two themes for discussion after watching the film:

Theme 1 Growing Up – The Tension between Parents and Maturing Children

This deals with questions of independence and parents’ letting go;
difficult processes for both parties involved.

Theme 2 Service in the Israeli Army - On a Personal and on a Societal Level

How does each individual deal with this expectation and the actualization
of it? How does society relate to this question? How do society and the
individual, as separate entities, perceive the dangers of such service?
Does society consider these consequences?

These subjects are essentially two separate lesson plans. It is possible, of course, to do both,
however it is subject to the teacher’s consideration as to what is most appropriate for his/her class
as well as how much time s/he wants/is willing to dedicate to this study.

Target Age Group

High School students (especially juniors and seniors) or Adult Education

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Objectives
• Students will become familiar with the obligations of their Israeli peers to be drafted into
the Israel Defense Forces.
• Students will see an independent film made by a young Israeli student filmmaker and hear
her own words about both making the film and her relationship to the Israeli army.
• Students will explore their own issues as maturing young adults and their ideological
struggles with their parents throughout this process.
• Students will learn about the rules for military service from the Bible and compare these
with what they see in this film

Supplementary Materials
P. 12 Appendix #1 – Background Information for Teacher
P. 14 Appendix #2 – Symbols Worksheet for Students
P. 16 Appendix #3 – Filming from the Heart, An Interview with Naomi Levari

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OPENING ACTIVITY - Background Information for Students
Goal: Students will gain a background understanding of required
service in the Israeli army and the issues their Israeli peers deal
with at the end of their high school career.

This background information is essential for students to be able to

understand this film.

(a) What are Your Plans After High School Graduation?

In small groups (4-6 students), ask students to write a timeline of the different preparations they
make from age 16 towards the end of high school to help them prepare for their plans after
graduation? Ask each student to share what they think are their plans for after high school -
straight to college? Year off? Professional school? Traveling?

After students have taken 5-10 minutes to discuss their individual plans, have them come back to
the full group. Divide the board into two halves. On one side, list the different preparations and
plans that your students have written in their groups.

On the other half of the board, list what their Israeli peers do from age 16 until the end of high
school in order to prepare for the army:

1. First Order (Age 16)

Army preparatory physical, including urine and blood tests, test of intimate body parts
(for both sexes), height and weight check.

2. Second Order (Age 16/17)

Intelligence exams (these are critical to be placed in select units and intelligence)

** Between the second and third order, many young people will prepare themselves individually
or in groups organized by schools and youth movements in order to be accepted into more
prestigious units.

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 3. Third Order (Age 18)
Official draft (at this point, those that want to be accepted to select units or those that the
army wants in particular units will go through more testing, both physical and intellectual,
in order to rate their abilities.)

** Most Israeli high school graduates will spend the summer after earning their degree preparing
to go off to the army. Many will travel abroad for short periods of time, as once they are in the
army, they are not allowed to leave the country unless it is official army business (and this is
unlikely to occur during required army service).

Once students see the table on the board, showing the contrast between their plans and those of
Israelis, lead a short discussion based on the following questions:

• Do you feel obligated to the list you made for your plans?
• How is this obligation you feel different from the legal obligations for Israelis to join the
army?
• Is there an idea or ideology that you would be willing to obligate yourself to for three
years after high school?

Important Note to Teacher

This discussion is in no way meant to inspire feelings of guilt or inferiority in American youth
because they do not have to serve in the Israeli army. However, seeing all of this in front of them
may invoke such feelings. Encourage students to recognize the differences between themselves
and Israeli youth but also help them to see that their plans are different, not inferior.

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SECOND ACTIVITY - Guided Film-Viewing
Goal: Students will watch and analyze the short-film 'Draft'.

Students are given a sheet of information about symbols in the movie. They will watch the film
and just after, before further study, they will have a chance to write what they were able to
observe.

(a) Personal Reactions to Symbols in the Film

Appendix #2 is a prepared worksheet for students (try to photocopy two-sided so students do not
feel overwhelmed and to save paper). Hand this out before viewing the film. Provide students
with a couple of minutes before viewing the film to read over it so they know what symbols they
are asked to find and follow in the film. Each symbol is followed by a personal reaction question.
After watching the film, give students 15-20 minutes to respond personally to each of the
questions before thematic discussions.

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THIRD ACTIVITY - Focus on a Theme

Below are two themes with activities that this lesson can focus on. Each is designed to be a lesson
in itself, but of course if time permits, it would be wonderful to do both.

1. Growing Up
The Tension between Parents and Maturing Children

2. Service in the Israeli Army

On a Personal and on a Societal Level

THEME ONE
Growing Up – The Tension between Parents and Maturing Children

This activity is essentially a longer discussion for the class after completing the worksheet above.
It can also be done as a special session in which parents are also invited to attend and participate.

Goal: Students will discuss the concepts of ideological differences

between parents and their maturing children as it is portrayed in
this film. Afterwards, students will have a chance to discuss how
they experience this in their own lives.

(a) Interview with the Director

Tell students that the director of the film was interviewed and one of the questions asked was as
follows (relating to question 4 on the worksheet they just completed):

Interviewer
Yoav has trouble with objects. His car won't start, his lighter doesn't work, and he has a hard time
pulling some part out of a transistor radio he is trying to fix. What were your thoughts on this
aspect of his character?

Naomi Levari
All these things happen because Yoav (the father) cannot seem to find the way to do things right.
He can't figure out how to speak to his son. He is always choosing the wrong way. How different
would it have been if he had simply asked his son not to go, holding him closely and explaining
how much he loves him and how scared he is of losing him? Yoav has a hard time expressing
himself in words; thus the constant occupation with objects, particularly broken ones. His insight
comes too late, as does his repentance. The child has already left.

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(b) Personal Discussion
Many of these questions are difficult for students to deal with. It might be helpful to organize
chairs in a circle instead of in rows or even to leave the classroom for a less formal setting for this
section of the lesson.

Questions for Discussion:

• Who did you identify with more in the film? Why?

• If you are making a decision that your parents disagree with, how would you recommend
that they approach you?
• If they did this exactly as you might have wanted, is there a chance you would change
your mind?
• Is there an ideology you believe in so strongly that no action from your parents would
change your opinions?
• Are you able to see your parents' point-of-view, even when you do not agree?
• What recommendations would you have for Yoav, the father?
• Or for Guy, the son?
• If you could, what recommendations would you give your parents in relation to dealing
with you?

c) Optional Activity – Role Playing

Ask for four volunteers to participate in the following role-playing scenario. One volunteer will
play the child and the other three will play different versions of the parent.

David (or Deborah) is about to finish high-school. Instead of going to college like most of the rest
of his graduating class however, he is interested in taking a year to study "from life" before
beginning his undergraduate career: working for a year, travelling or coming to Israel for an in-
between year.

David finally approaches his parent(s) to discuss the issue.

Without the class hearing, instruct each father / mother separately. Then ask David to try and
persuade each parent, one at a time.

Parent 1 – Extremely Negative

He / She is not at all interested in considering the idea and is adamant on David going to college
like everyone else his age. This father / mother plays devil's advocate to every argument David
makes and is extremely stubborn and uncompromising.

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Parent 2 – Exact Opposite of Father 1
He is complacent to the extreme. He is thrilled by the idea and is basically a yes-man to every
whim of his child, to the point that he barely even hears what David is saying; he just blindly gives
him whatever he asks for.

Parent 3 – A Balance of Parent 1 and 2

He does not immediately agree or disagree. He hears David out and poses questions and
reservations, without shooting David down. He is supportive and thoughtful.

After David has tried to persuade each parent conduct a short discussion with the class:

• Which David did you identify most with?

• Did you want to see the complacent father disagree a little? Why?
• Could you see yourself proposing such an idea to your parents?
• What kind of reaction might you get?
• In the film Guy really does want to connect with his father, especially before such an
important event in his life; but both father and son have trouble communicating. Has
there been a time in your life when you wanted to communicate in a certain way with
your parents, but for some reason the message, your thoughts, ideas or wishes were not
able to get across clearly? What were the obstacles?
• In the film there is a difference in ideology between father and son, and Yoav's fear of
losing his son prevented him from connecting to Guy. What has prevented your parents
from connecting with you? What has prevented you?
• What can be done to improve these relationships? Whose responsibility is it?

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THEME TWO
Service in the Israeli Army - On a Personal and on a Societal Level

Goal: Students will further explore the intimate relationship

between the army and Israeli society. They will have a chance to
learn about the Biblical laws for who is exempt from service.
Students will discuss the expectation upon young Israelis to serve
and the possibility of death from the moment they are soldiers,
essentially property of the state.

Questions considered:

• How does each individual deal with this expectation and the actualization of it?
• How does society relate to this question?
• How do society and the individual, as separate entities, perceive the dangers of such
service? Does society consider these consequences?

(a) To Serve or Not to Serve?

Note to the Teacher

The father and son conflict in the film is not only about adolescence and maturing; they also
disagree about going to the army. The father feels that the army misuses soldiers and, as he says
in his letter at the end, he fears that his son will die in vain. The son, however, tells his father that
he has lots of friends and he is going to the army to be a part of society.
Ask students to partner up.
Each partner will interview the other with the following questions:

1. Can you imagine yourself going to an obligatory draft?

2. If you were to go, would your motivation be society’s expectation or the fact that all
your friends are going?
3. What might be the ideological reason to go into the Israeli army?
4. Can you relate to this ideological motivation?

Ask the class to regroup and briefly share the answers with the class.

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(b) Biblical Exemptions from Serving
Ask students if they can think of reasons why a person might not serve in the army. List these
ideas on the board. (Possible suggestions to insert if they do not all come from the students:
conscientious objector, mental problems, physical problems, single child family, families who have
already lost a parent or child in the on-going conflict).

In the Bible, there is a specific verse that deals with exemptions. It is found in the book of
Deuteronomy 20:5-8. Ask students to bring their Bibles and open to these verses. Students will
read the verses to themselves and list the reasons for exemptions in their notebooks. The initial
list of exemptions in verse 5-7 lists the following: a new home, a new orchard and a new wife.
There is a break in the narrative and afterwards it is listed that those “of weak heart” should not go
to war either.

• What does it mean to be weak of heart?

• How does the verse explain why the “weak of heart” should go home?
• Do you agree with this?

(c) Connect to the film

Questions for discussion:

1. Do you think the father is weak of heart because he does not want his son to serve in
the army? What are his motivations?
2. How do you understand the son’s insistence on serving in the army?
3. Which character do you identify with and why?
4. Do you think there is anything worth dying for? **
5. How does your answer to question #4 affect your everyday life? How does it affect
life in Israel?

**This is, obviously, a very difficult question. Yet, we find that in this film and in general when
speaking about Israel, this is a central question. In considering Israel, Americans often feel that it
is intrinsically more dangerous to live in Israel (the threat of terrorism, the war being so close to
home, etc.). In reality, in any place in the world, all people are at risk of death, be it from war, car
accidents, violent crime or illness. Why is it that Israel seems so much more dangerous to people
living abroad?

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FOURTH ACTIVITY - Interview Your Parents

Goal: To have students discuss these issues with their parents.

This activity will give students an opportunity to bring the lesson's issues up with their parents and
open a discussion with them. Teachers can ask that students turn in a copy of their interview, or
that students bring in a signed note from their parents that it was done.

Tell students that before they interview their parent(s), they should tell them a bit about the movie
and what was discussed in class.

Interview Questions:
• How do you feel about military service in general?
• How do you feel about military service in Israel?
• Do you remember disagreeing with your parents’ ideology? What did you do?
• How would you feel if I do something in the coming years that conflicts with your
ideology?

CONCLUSION
As you conclude the lesson it is important to remind students that while the dilemmas and
challenges Israeli youth face are quite different than theirs, nevertheless, there are many
similarities as well. Here you can ask the class for some examples of similarities and differences
they learned about through the session or other thoughts they might have.

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APPENDIX #1

Background Information for Teacher

A law of required military service for all Jewish citizens (men and women), from the age of 18
exists, since the founding of the State of Israel. Required service for men is three years, for women
approximately 2 years (depending on their role). Religious men and women are not obligated to
serve in the army. Religious men, especially from the ultra-orthodox sector, declare that their
service is the study of Torah. In the National-Religious world (what is referred to in Hebrew as dati
leumi, meaning sectors that are not ultra-orthodox), most men do serve in the army. Of these dati
leumi men, an extremely high percentage is in select combat units. Women from this sector often
do national service, an organized way of helping society through educational projects without
pay. In this sector, it is considered a national-religious value to serve the state of Israel either in
the military or in the educational sector.

The exemption of religious men from the army came about during David Ben-Gurion’s term as
prime minister. He permitted, for political motivations within the coalition government, 400
young men to study in Yeshiva in place of serving in the Israeli Defense Forces. Today, there are
approximately 40,000 young men studying in Yeshiva in place of army service.

In addition to the religious avoidance from serving in the army, there are other sectors in Israeli
society that also have mechanisms for exemption from army service. There are exemptions for
mental illness that some citizens are known to have obtained despite the untruth of the situation.
Similar to the American army, there are conscientious objectors that receive an exemption for
their beliefs; however, this is a long process that not many are able to succeed in.

All draftees pass through a rigorous health check upon entering the army. Those that are found
unfit to serve are not drafted. In some situations, they may volunteer.

In addition, families with only one child or those that have lost family members already in the
army, their children are not required to serve. They may volunteer.

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In the early history of the state of Israel, serving in the army was taken for granted. All Jewish
citizens served. In the last 20-25 years, the automatic draft has come into question. In the legal
realm, the law still exists as written originally. Societal changes, however, have surfaced questions
about the automatic draft. This is expressed in Israeli society in various ways and differs
depending on the geographic location, religious affiliation, family orientation and shifts in Zionist
principles as the state matures. This short film deals with one particular aspect of the question of
service in the army: disappointment with the actions of the army and disapproval of how they
utilize the soldiers. This is one of the shifts in Israeli society today regarding Zionist evolution over
the past sixty years.

In the process of establishing the state, the central value of Israeli society was survival and
essential to this was military protection. As the state has developed, this need is still legally exactly
as it was 60 years ago. Over the course of recent years, some Israelis ask whether this value needs
to shift: Israel does exist, but should the army still be our main focus.

For those that question this value, they are not seeking to dissolve the army, as clearly security is
still a major concern in Israel. However, they are asking the question of how this army is run, how
it acts and whether it is still necessary that every citizen serve. It is important to emphasize that
each individual asking these questions will ask them in his/her own manner and this questioning
will be informed by his/her personal situation. The father in this movie is not only asking about
the actions of the army (and his clear disagreement with them); he is also dealing with his fears of
his only son going to serve in the army and how this relates to his political views. In addition to all
of this, the family’s situation falls under the law mentioned above that a family with only one child
is not required to send their child to the army. The son is a volunteer according to Israeli law.

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APPENDIX #2

Symbolic Features

Directions: Read over the four symbols listed below. As you are watching the film, look out for these
symbols. After watching the film, answer the questions below.

1. Throughout the film, the following image appears in bumper-sticker form many times.
(Literal translation: I heart star of David; traditional interpretation: “I love Israel”)

How do the different characters relate to this sticker throughout the film?

The father:

The son:

What is the conflict between the father and son over this sticker?

What do you think of this conflict?

2. In a few scenes, the radio is more than mere background. At the beginning, the father
hears news about soldiers on the radio – what is his reaction?

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Later in the film, we hear an interview with soldiers on the radio. Take notice that the IDF radio
stations are the most popular in Israel. On every radio station, news is broadcast at least once
every hour, if not every half hour. As the director of this film, Naomi Levari, said in an interview:

In general, military service is a very dominant part of life in Israel, a state that exists primarily due to
its military strength of deterrence. Military concepts and slang are very much a part of society.

In light of this statement, we see that the military pervades all aspects of life and yet, this is
essential in light of the fact that Israel’s conflicts happen within her own borders and on a daily
basis. How would it feel different for you if the military were to take such a large part of your
everyday life?

3. When the father is fixing transistors, notice that there are newspapers on his work desk. If
you look closely, you may be able to see that these are the obituary sections of the
newspaper. How does this relate to the characters’ personal story? What metaphor can
we see in this in light of the father’s letter to his son (that is never given to him) and the
fact that the father falls asleep on these death announcements?

4. Throughout the film, we notice that the father has a bit of trouble with things not working
properly: the transistors (that he just cannot seem to fix), his lighter and eventually his car.
{Take note that at the beginning of the movie, he lied to his son that the car was not
working. By the end of the film, when he tries to go down to the draft center, the car
does not work.} In your opinion, what does this imply about the relationship between
father and son in this film? Can you identify?

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 APPENDIX #3

Filming from the Heart

An interview with Naomi Levari on ‘Draft’
by Richard Raskin

Richard: Can you tell me how the idea for this story came to you?
Was it inspired by any specific people you know?

Naomi: In general, military service is a very dominant part of life in Israel, a state that exists primarily
due to its military strength of deterrence. Military concepts and slang are very much a part of society. I
myself refrained from military service for ideological reasons, and I often wonder how I will react as a
parent when, or if, my own son/ daughter enlists. The characters in the movie represent two parts of
myself: the ideological part - that innocent hippie character - and the part that needs to be accepted by
society and grow up by leaving home. So the idea for this story did not exactly "come" to me. The whole
notion of army is a part of me just as it is a part of any Israeli. I was lucky to be able to formulate my
feelings, thoughts and fears of military service through this movie.

Richard: Both of your actors delivered excellent performances. Can you tell me about your choices in
casting the two roles, and also about the way in which you chose to direct your actors?

Naomi: I chose Avi Pnini (Yoav) because of his face and the close-up shots he supplied. His face is pain
stricken. His long hair testifies to the era he belongs to, one that has long passed. There is not very much
dialogue in the film, and therefore I needed his face to speak. In many scenes, his face is the text.

Yedidia Vital (Guy) is soft and gentle. He is not the macho character you'd expect of a young man anxious
to enlist. In the conflict the film portrays, it would be banal if the father was gentle and the son was macho
- too easy and just a little superficial. Things are not that simple. The Israeli reality is that gentle boys get
drafted too; they even go into combat units. The 18-year-old leaves his/her parents, friends and dreams
behind for three whole years, as s/he goes off to fight.

The film basically directed itself. The situation was very clear. Luckily, I was blessed with two actors who
believed in the script and its message. Yedidia arrived at the shooting directly from his army base, where
he is currently doing his mandatory military service. Avi has sent two children to the army. Both actors
knew the moment, and they had both experienced that night in the past. Although they are not playing
themselves, the transposition was quite simple for them: they knew the situation, and re-experienced the
pain. The acting experience and talent were less in play here, their knowledge of the situation brought out
what later appeared on screen.

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Richard: There are wonderful close-ups of Avi Pnini's face. You have already commented on these shots.
Is there anything you would like to add about them?

Naomi: The casting and shooting were inseparable. Adi (the cinematographer) was present at all the
auditions. As already mentioned, we wanted an actor who speaks through his face, who can carry the pain
of the character in his eyes. The close-ups are when the viewer identifies with the character; it's an
intimacy between the viewer and the character.

This is a character that is doing terrible things to his son. He ignores him, yells at him, hurts his feelings,
even hits him. But the close-ups help us to understand and love him. We see through his eyes and the
creases in his face. He loves his son. He is in deep pain. He is in dire straits and he does not know how to
handle the situation. Godard expressed it well by saying that the simple close-up is the most emotional of
them all, because it can make us anxious about things.

Richard: I gather that Guy was not simply drafted into military service but actually volunteered, either
before he would have been called into the army, or perhaps for a kind of duty that not everyone is given. My
uncertainty about this is due to my ignorance about the Israeli draft system. Could you clear this up for me?

Naomi: Wrong. Guy was indeed drafted. In Israel, service is mandatory for every 18-year-old girl and
boy. They have no choice. Most of them actually go happily, for it is a ticket into Israeli society, a source of
pride and belonging, their way to be an equal among equals. There is no hierarchy in the army: the
wealthy and poor fight side by side. There are few who are drafted unwillingly, and there are even fewer
who refuse to serve and are imprisoned for their refusal.

Richard: Yoav has trouble with objects. His car won't start, his lighter doesn't work, and he has a hard
time pulling some part out of a transistor radio he is trying to fix. What were your thoughts on this aspect of
his character?

Naomi: You're right, nothing works for Yoav. The radio is only an excuse to distract him from the
inevitable confrontation with his son; a way to unload some of his anger and aggression. The lighter
simply won't work, and the car is his punishment for lying to his son about the car not starting, when we
saw him driving it earlier that day. In the closing scene, when Yoav needs his car most, the lie comes true
and the car won't start. This is his nemesis.

All these things happen because Yoav cannot seem to find the way to do things right. He can't figure out
how to speak to his son. He is always choosing the wrong way. How different would it have been if he had
simply asked his son not to go, holding him closely and explaining how much he loves him and how
scared he is of losing him? Yoav has a hard time expressing himself in words; thus the constant occupation
with objects, particularly broken ones. His insight comes too late, as does his repentance. The child has
already left.

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Richard: In the final scene, as the bus drives away with Yoav running after it, you substitute an image of
Guy as a boy for the adult young man. This adds to the power of the moment and although I think I can
guess why you did this, how its meaning might be interpreted, I would very much like to know how you
understand this substitution, in your own words.

Naomi: The little boy in the last scene is the bottom line of the movie. The soldier who enlists is still a
child, and this is true for all armies in the world (the United States forbids the consumption of alcohol
under the age of 21, while 18 year olds are permitted to go out and kill).

I wanted to emphasize that parents who do not allow their children to go out on 5-day field trips are the
same parents who proudly send their children to a place where the probability that they will either kill or
get killed is pretty high. This is quite a paradox. I would like people to stop and ask themselves: why am I
sending my child to military service? I won't allow him/her to smoke because it endangers his/her health,
and they won't drive my car if they're tired, because of the risk this involves, so why am I agreeing to send
him/her to the army? The pride that goes with sending a child off to military service stems from
impotence, from the primordial fear of having to bury your child. And still, everyone goes on doing it.
Parents consciously send their children to the most dangerous place in the world, and celebrate the night
before with a big meal. Why?

The answers are about collectivity and nationality. "Who else will protect the country?" "What if everyone
just decided to refuse, what then?" and so forth. For me, it is difficult to accept these answers, and I find it
hard to believe others do. These so-called national excuses aren't reason enough to make a parent
sacrifice his/her own child. This is totally twisted! I need to put my finger on the "automatic pilot" that
causes people to send their children to play with fire, and why it is that the individual gives in to society
precisely in the most dangerous area.

Richard: Am I correct in assuming that both hawks and doves in Israel would appreciate this film, even
though it is Yoav's story and he is clearly an opponent of right-wing politics?

Naomi: You're right. People in Israel identify with the movie regardless of their political opinions,
because practically everyone here has stood in Yoav's place. This is also, in my opinion, the true
achievement of the film, because it was not made for a persuaded audience. On the contrary, I'm glad I
didn't antagonize people who do not share Yoav's political opinions. From the very start, my editor, Shiri,
said that this film should be edited from an extreme right-wing point of view, and she was right. We would
not have been able to achieve anything if the movie spoke a sectarian language, and it definitely had the
potential to do so. Everyone here experiences the trauma of recruitment, right and left, and it's hard for
everyone. The movie emphasizes the separation, not necessarily the politics.

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The true way to make a change through films is through emotions as opposed to rationalistic speeches.
It's hard to oppose emotions; they're instinctive and involuntary. It's much easier to close yourself off in
face of blunt texts and agendas. After experiencing emotion, you think and you analyze, while the other
way around does not work so easily. Thoughts do not translate automatically into emotion.

Richard: Is there any advice you would give to students about to make their own first short films?

Naomi: The film should be real, and by "real" I don't mean realistic, but real in a way that truly reflects
the creators' inner truth. Remember that there is no such thing as "too much" in cinema. Do not censor
yourself because you feel your movie is "overly sentimental," "too cynical," and so on. Once you censor
yourself, you sabotage the movie's truth. If you are a person who is "too sensitive," don't be afraid to go
with it. There will always be viewers who will not connect to your movie, but this is also a way to find your
"soul mates" across the world. Those who feel the movie was made for them, and in the darkness of the
theatre will go the whole way with you, because it's real. Nobody appreciates fraud or forgers. Don't stop
asking yourself: what am I doing? Am I really willing to expose myself? The topic you are addressing has
got to come from the bottom of your heart, and it must be one that you deal with throughout your life,
consciously or subconsciously.

A script undergoes changes, and is written and re-written over and over again. The first draft, however
imperfect, is probably the one that expresses your real truth. I recommend that you go back to your first
draft before you seal your script. It may supply answers to questions that come up during the process of
writing the final drafts.

It's important to be coherent, and the secret is in the script. A secured and consistent text is a winning
script. The protagonist and antagonist must represent two sides of you, and you must love the antagonist
as much as you love the protagonist. As soon as you have that, you've got an authentic conflict, the
conclusion of which is inspiring.

I feel that cinema should aspire to change the world and make it a better place, by arriving, with the help
of the cinematic illusion, at a bigger and greater truth. This is done with one thing only. Your heart.

Taken from:
P.O.V. No.19
http://pov.imv.au.dk/Issue_19/POV_19cnt.html

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