Longing for father: This coming Saturday, the documentary “Kirschenbaum” will be screened on “Kan 11”, which Canaan Kirschenbaum made about his father, the late Moti Kirschenbaum. For the purpose of the film, the large archive left behind by the legendary journalist was opened. The film in question reveals the lesser-known sides of Kirschenbaum’s personality : His function as a partner and pain, and the special relationship with the people who worked with him over the years. Among them, Prime Minister Yair Lapid, Yaron London, Haim Yavin, Dan Shilon, Tovia Tzafir, Rivka Michaeli and Gabri Banai. In a conversation with Iris Kol on 103fm, Canaan said About the inspiration and longing behind the creation.
“It’s a long journey, which started a few years ago. Father passed away 7 years ago, and over time it was clear to me that I was making a film about him,” admitted the beloved creator. “In the beginning it wasn’t that accessible, certainly not mentally, and over time it did become accessible and I wanted to make the film. It was simply not possible for me to enter his world yet, it was still too early. For me too, a lot of processes took time Understand things and digest. Things I’ve lived with all these years.”
Canaan said: “I wanted them to be in the film, for the film to be about me, my father, and my family, not just about his well-known career. His career and the things he did are intertwined in our history, of the country. I had the pleasure and privilege of meeting all his friends , not all of them, and there is an interesting point in there that I didn’t think about when I started – that father, when he died unexpectedly, one day suddenly in the middle of work, he was supposed to go on the air and suddenly he died. This was a huge surprise for everyone, not just the family. He didn’t have time to say goodbye, This thought haunted me more and more when I met the people.”
When asked if, through the glimpse into his life, he was able to understand what kind of man he was, sides that were less exposed due to his being a father, he explained: “All in all, father, because he was not at home, he made sure to take me and my brother into his work all my life. This meeting was not new to me, except that I came this time differently into this matter. I came with thoughts, insights, memories, I’m not even a child anymore.”
“Does the public miss you?” Kol wondered, and Canaan replied: “Very much missed. Absolutely. But what is different in this film, perhaps somewhat, is that I am really talking about the things of the house as well, and this was never known, and as much as he was so well known, they didn’t know anything Behind the scenes. It’s not that in-depth work was done here, it’s still an hour-long documentary, but I did manage to express myself and my feelings, to show it.”
Help in preparing the article: Shani Romano