Filming in Jericho

In was one of my favorite crews ever, Pat Frazer and Gallo from L.A, filming in Israel for their amazing project, ‘One’.

We shot on location in and around a colorful Jerusalem that basked in the early summer sun. Having dug up some really great human interest stories, we used the dramatic backdrop of this beautiful city to interview each person. When the film comes out I will place a trailer on my blog. Look out for this as there are some great stories and wonderful shots.

 On one of the days of the shoot in Israel, we stated filming at 3 O’clock in the morning. I asked, Ifat, my dear friend and stills photographer, to join us and take some shots of the crew working.  The location: a dawn concert in Jericho. 

We met at the crew’s hotel and drove down to Jericho. The concert was part of the ‘Sound of Jerusalem’ project – a festival of concerts, each in a different location.We arrived in Jericho an hour before the concert started.  It was still dark when we joined the musicians at the cable car, which took us up to the Mountain of Temptation.There, on a balcony, the musicians began tuning up. Our film crew chose their positions; Pat placed his camera high on the mountain above us and Gallo, with his Red Camera, was close to the musicians.People began arriving as dawn approached. At around 5 am, the concert began, just as the sun was starting to rise.  Everywhere around us was still and quiet; there was just music, mountain and a spectacular sunrise.  A peaceful ambiance filled the air and we filmed the most extraordinary shots.

The sun rose from the east, spreading its rays over the Dead Sea and Jericho. The concert took an hour and afterwards we went up to the monastery at the top of the Mountain of Temptation. This is one of my favorite locations in Israel. Finally, it was time to go down the mountain and film the Dead Sea. The crew took advantage of their location, finding time for a quick swim, something I insisted upon; if you come all the way to Israel and find yourself by the Dead Sea, you simply have to experience the strange experience of floating in the salty waters of the lowest point on earth.

 The last location of the day was a Greek monastery, to the north of the Dead Sea. There we filmed the unique faces of some of the residents of the monastery; their simple, secluded lifestyle giving them an air of contentment.Tired and happy we went back to Jerusalem for a late breakfast at Link, one of my favorite restaurants in the center of Jerusalem. There, relaxing after a long but enjoyable shoot, Pat, Gallo, Muhammad (the best driver), Ifat, Yanive (the PA) and myself all had a delicious snack and discussed a great restaurant we all knew in NY. It was very amusing.

 At 2pm the crew went back to their hotel and I went to sleep… it had been a long day.

Filming in Jericho

Film Scouting in Israel

“Who is Jesus” the popular discovery series directed by renowned British director Alex Marengo was shot in Israel. Renegade Films requested that I scout the country’s landmarks for unique historical settings, in addition to spotting locations suitable for interviewing the three host of the show:

Biblical Scholar Allen Callahan,  Archaeologist Byron  McCane  and  Jewish Historian  Pr. Rachel  Lane.

Although Israel is famous for its prominent history, over the years it has been rebuilt and modernized – making it difficult to locate the sites that remain authentic to ancient times. At Biblical productions it’s essential that we uphold that prehistoric image as we scout for biblical settings.

I spent the next week together with another tour guide driving around Israel searching for appropriate sites. With little but a map and a camera at hand, we were two women out on a mission to find the ideal film location. There’s nothing like a good ol’ map to help me find those perfect spots- The GPS may be one of the only modern gadgets I dislike.

We settled on a small farm located in the Galilee, where we hoped to find the oldest grove of olive trees in the area. When we arrived we met Ethan. Ethan is an old-time Galilee farmer and is especially familiar with the area. Even with Ethan’s level of expertise, the three of us spent hours searching for the appropriate trees. On the verge of giving up, Ethan directed us to an Arab village where by chance we met a young man who introduced us to a field packed with beautifully aged Olive Trees. They were truly outstanding and made us feel as if we had stepped into primeval times.

With the first stop of our quest behind us, we were on our way to the Sea of Galilee. The majority of the area is occupied by tourists and hotels. After all, it’s a global tourist attraction. We, on the other hand were looking for something less commercialized. I had been informed of a nun located on the northern side of the beach who possessed a key to a secluded section. With great effort we found the nun and she lead us to the peaceful stretch of sand. We rested on a wooden bench, the wind pleasantly blowing on our faces, where the nun kindly promised to help us with our filming.

As the day came to an end, tired from all we had accomplished, we decided to treat ourselves to dinner. Since we weren’t far away from Rosh Pina, a favorite small town of mine, we went to a restaurant café overlooking the Hula Valley. It was the perfect way to relax, unwind and end a perfect day.

The following morning we continued our journey, traveling along Israel’s coastline. However, that’s already a brand new story.

Reenacting Biblical scenery in Israel

When reenacting biblical scenes that involve an entire production -  I.e.’  Actors, extras, tents, animals and even horsebacks; I hire my friend Chalil.  Chalil  is a Bedouin with extensive understanding of the desert as well as an amazingly skilled producer.

Our most recent project together was for an American Company, producing a film featuring scenes from the Old Testament.  Having arrived at the location at 4:00 am, it was still dark out but the camp was ready to work. Suddenly, Four large rocks moved right before our eyes. As it turns out, they were awaking camels.

The opening scene was of Abraham taking Isaac to be sacrificed at dawn. Our props were in place, the fire was burning and the actors were geared up in Biblical costume.

Throughout the day we continued to shoot a variety of scenes from the Bible. We shot Abraham with his sheep, countless camel rides, Sara and Jacob, Isaac as a boy and later Isaac as our sage forefather.

During the shooting, we came across a man distributing tea. He had an infectious smile and built us a nice fire. We couldn’t help but light up with the sight of him.

I am in constant search of the perfect location to reenact biblical stories.  Every so often I travel to Judea and Samaria seeking out the perfect setting.  I am on the lookout for interesting faces, women, children, Valleys, Rocky Mountains, wadi, forests and Locations from the Old as well as the New Testament. It was once requested of me that I locate the route Joseph and Mary took from Nazereth to Bethlehem. Filming reenactments takes great preparation however has a huge production value.  I also produce in Jordan.

Our vision is to constantly be thinking out of the box while filming. It’s what makes filming in Israel  extraordinary. In order to shoot Joseph and Mary, we spotted the perfect steep mountain located right outside Jerusalem.

On the way from Bethlehem to the south, I came across cave dwellers. These dwellers live in old cave houses set in a countrified area. Their Hospitality is welcoming, beautiful and unique. After sitting with the family I thought it would make a nice place to film as just outside the cave is a great field to use as Biblical scenery.

Caves, historic ruins, refuges and even monasteries are just a few examples of places that can serve as feature film locations in Israel.  The next place I have my eye on is located in between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. It’s not far from the Ella Valley. I think the potential there for film productions and will be back soon with all the details.

The History Channel’s television – filming in Israel

The History Channel’s television show, ‘Cities of the Underworld’ proved to be a very challenging production in Israel. One of the producers of Authentic Entertainment was familiar with my work from a previous production and approached me.

We had only three weeks to film in a dozen locations all over Israel. From Akko in the Galilee to The Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, The City of David and the newly discovered Zadik Tunnel, The caves of Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered, Megiddo home of the famed “Battle of Megiddo” mentioned in both the Old and New Testaments, Morasha and many more locations throughout Israel.

Don Wildman and his crew woke up early morning to film the Dome of the Rock, one of the most difficult places to film due to complicated procedures obtaining permits in order to gain entry to the Dome.

Our efforts were rewarded; Don under the Mosque was a great scene. I was the field producer that day and was blessed with a blue sky containing a few clouds that framed the Dome, it never looked more beautiful. Just a few weeks later the Dome went into a big renovation, which still continues to this day.

Don was in Israel with his wife Melissa. One day Melissa called me saying that Don thinks it would great if we meet for lunch, I immediately invited her over to my office. Melissa used to be a Broadway dancer in The Lion King and not only does she dance; she also narrates TV shows with her velvet voice. In my opinion she has got the most beautiful voice in the world. Melissa and I quickly became friends.

Meanwhile the crew was planning to spend the day filming the caves at Qumran. It was the hottest day in the year. The aim was to get Don and the crew down to Cave 4. Don managed to go down very carefully to Cave 4 with a massive amount of film equipment. The shots were amazing and Cities of the Underworld was the very last crew to film Cave 4. Entry is no longer allowed as the national park decided to close the cave to crews for safety reasons.

The concept of the show is that in each place the host meets an expert who guides Don and his audience through a location. Shachar Shilo is one of the best experts from the City of David. He has an impressive knowledge of history, is fluent in English, and is a natural in front of the camera.

While in Israel, Authentic Entertainment also shot a web episode on various additional subjects for the History Channel website. At the end of the show, before everyone left, we had a wrap party celebrating our achievements. It was delightful to work with everyone.

I will miss Melissa very much. I consider her a dear friend and look forward to seeing her when I am in L.A.

Love Sees No Color Teaser

While on Holiday in northern Norway two years ago, enjoying the peaceful scenery, I received a phone call. A producer named Anja was on the other end. Anja introduced herself, what she does, and mentioned that she plans on coming to film in  Israel in the near future as one of her many stops around the world. She then elaborated by introducing her project to me.

At the time, Anja was shooting a music clip that incorporated children from around the globe “I need One Hundred Kids” she said. “You’re name was given to me as the director in Israel to contact. We’ll be arriving by private jet from Egypt”.

One week later I was back in Israel, ready and willing to produce Anja’s music clip.

The concept was to have one main singer, along with One Hundred children from different countries, sing a song of peace.

Managing the clip was leading production company, Don and Dusted.  Don and Dusted is based in London and produce live and music videos internationally.

Initially I envisioned the set taking place on the ‘David Citadel Hotel’ roof top overlooking the streets of Jerusalem’s old city.  I then thought it would be beautiful if the children danced. The movement together with their voices, the view, and the video’s heartwarming concept should choreograph brilliantly together.

With many auditions lined up, we settled on Ora’s Dance club. The children were talented and the choreographer succeeded expectations.

Soon the Jet landed, with Seventeen people and many boxes of equipment on board. Mr Nassari, a self accomplished millionaire who made his fortune chiefly from fasion, landed in Isreal accompanied by world renowned music director Larry Jordon. Jordon has worked with artists such as Sting, The producers were joined by a British crew.

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During his spare time, Nassari has at times engaged in political discussions regarding peace in the middle east. One of example of this is when he met with Shimon Peres

At a cocktail party that took place at the American colony for Israelis and Palestinians. He’s visited Rabbi’s and peace activists among others.

As a peace activist, during a visit to Brazil, Nassari let loose a dove, the symbol of peace, on a mountain top thus beginning and international odyssey.

Logistically we were faced with a challenge. We were to film in two different Jerusalem locations on the same day. The fact that the children were experienced, and that our crew was extremely organized made this feat a possibility.

We moved the crew from the David Citadel to the street market. What made our production resemble a circus even more was the fact that the children were joined by other jugglers, skilled in both juggling balls and fire. One child was dressed as a religious Jew and another as an Arab in Jalbia. Both children danced together.

By the end of the day, I knew we had done a great job in our  production services in Israel . The traffic stopped, leaving Jaffa gate full only with dancing children accompanied by our crew. I stood there observing what we put together.

Love, hope and unity are recurring themes in songs sung in 15 languages

The lyrics for the peace anthem “Love Sees No Color” are insights stemming from what Nassiri has learned narrowed down into a few powerful words:

“Love sees no color, no race, no religion/We are the same as the rays of the sun/ Love sees no color, no race, no religion/ Only through love can we live as one.”

Accompanying Nassiri in the short film are hundreds of children dressed in the clothing of their countries of origin.

Some of the world’s most inspirational locations serve as the setting for the film, including the separation wall dividing Israel and Palestine, the Trocadero square by the Eiffel Tower and the Montmartre in Paris, the Canals, the Holocaust Memorial and Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, the Ancient Rome Coliseum, the Hermitage Museum, and the River Neva in St. Petersburg.