A new documentary that was recently released tells the story of Kibbutz Ramat David. The film, ‘Our Story’, describes and tells the story of the kibbutz from the moment it ascended the land to Ein Bidah in 1926, through the move to the hill where the kibbutz is located today, about the lives of the two founding groups – Einay and Sharon side by side – until the 1980s.
The making of the documentary is the brainchild of two of the kibbutz veterans – the late Dov Raks and Hanan Raban. Rotem Veks, who is in charge of the kibbutz archive, took the initiative with both hands and together with Nir Lavia, a talented photographer and editor and a new member of the kibbutz, began interviewing the kibbutz veterans. “The generation that founded the kibbutz is no longer there, and it was important for us to hear from the current generation, who were the first children born in the kibbutz, firsthand, the experiences and memories that shaped them and the kibbutz.”
The film is told through the eyes of the kibbutz veterans and includes their memories and experiences. The production of the film was preceded by extensive investigative work. “Making an hour-long film about a story that spans so many years is very complex,” says Lavie, “we also wrestled with the question of who to interview and on what topics, and in the end we decided to choose certain stations in the life of the kibbutz. Together with a number of veterans we sat down, we chose the important topics, we broke each topic down into sub-topics and started doing almost daily interviews in the kibbutz.”
The production of the film took about 4 years and included a stop due to the corona epidemic. “The late Dov Raks passed away from the complications of the Corona virus. He really pushed for the idea of the film and also contributed money from his own pocket. He managed to be interviewed for the film, but did not get to see it. The film was made semi-voluntarily, it was clear to us that there was no question of financial gain here, it had to happen.”
Later, Shiri Stein joined the team – also a kibbutz member, who took on the role of editing, directing and writing the script. So far, two screenings have been held, with the first screening being in the dining room, which was attended by over 200 people. “We received very good comments about the film from people who said it was interesting and brought them back,” says Lavia, “The film also has a lot of photos and videos from a time that brought back pleasant memories to the viewers.”
“It was very exciting to sit with the veterans and hear their stories and experiences,” adds Wax, “and for us to slowly create the film from the interviews, it was a special and exciting experience. The reactions to the film were very encouraging and supportive. People were enthusiastic about the film and understood its importance.”