O Jerusalem (2006)

Director:

Élie Chouraqui

Writers:

Élie Chouraqui
Didier Le Pêcheur

Release Date:

18 October 2006 (Belgium)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

The historic struggle for Jerusalem and the birth of Israel.

Plot:

A tale of friendship between two men, one Jewish and the other Arab, as the state of Israel is being created. |

Plot Keywords:

Israel | War Of Independence | Jerusalem | 1940s | Palestine

Cast

JJ Feild	...	Bobby Goldman
Saïd Taghmaoui	...	Saïd Chahine
Maria Papas	...	Hadassah
Patrick Bruel	...	David Levin
Ian Holm	...	Ben Gurion
Tovah Feldshuh	...	Golda Meir
Mel Raido	...	Jacob
Cécile Cassel	...	Jane
Mhairi Morrison	...	Cathy (as Mhairi Steenbock)
Tom Conti	...	Sir Cunningham
Shirel	...	Yaël
Peter Polycarpou	...	Abdel Khader
Daniel Lundh	...	Roni
Anatol Yusef	...	Major Tell
Jamie Harding	...	Amin Chahine
Laura Weissbecker	...	Agnieska
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Robert Atiko	...	Jamil Mordam
Daniel Ben Zenou	...	Daoud
Élie Chouraqui	...	Isaac Roth
Kristian Hillman	...	Party Guest
John Howarth	...	Husseini
Dominic Jephcott	...	Major Stevens
Daniel Kischinovsky	...	Sergei
Ryan Kruger	...	Jewish extremist
Derek Lawson	...	Mechanic
Liron Levo	...	Yoel
Matthew Marsh	...	Sir Gordon
Gordon Patrick	...	Harry (as Gordon Newell)
Christopher Simon	...	Malmond Pasha
Jonathan Uziel	...	Post Manager
René Zagger	...	Golan
Heidi McQueen-Prentice	...	Supporting artist (uncredited)

Directed by
Élie Chouraqui

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Élie Chouraqui
Didier Le Pêcheur

Produced by
Andy Birmingham	....	line producer
Élie Chouraqui	....	producer
Diane Cornell	....	financial line producer
Mark Damon	....	producer
Caroline Dhainaut	....	associate producer
André Djaoui	....	producer
Jean Frydman	....	producer
Jeff Geoffray	....	producer
Yoram Globus	....	associate producer
Andreas Grosch	....	producer
Alice Guien	....	associate producer
Patrick Irwin	....	associate producer
Walter Josten	....	executive producer
Nagib Kerbouche	....	producer
Jeffrey Konvitz	....	executive producer
David Korda	....	executive producer
Jean-Charles Levy	....	producer
Nicolas Manuel	....	associate producer
Colin McKeown	....	co-producer
Despina Mouzaki	....	co-producer: Greece
Anouk Nora	....	associate producer
Haris Padouvas	....	co-producer: Greece
Laure-Anne Rossignol	....	associate producer
Dionyssis Samiotis	....	co-producer: Greece (as Dionysis Samiotis)
Andreas Schmid	....	executive producer
Marcus Schöfer	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Stephen Endelman

Cinematography by
Giovanni Fiore Coltellacci

Production Design by
Sue Booth

Art Direction by
Simeon Halligan

Costume Design by
Mimi Lempicka		(original costumes)

Makeup Department
Jana Carboni	....	makeup artist
Federico Carretti	....	assistant makeup artist
Barbara Taylor	....	makeup designer

Production Management
Danny Ben Menahem	....	unit manager
Thanasis Chondronasios	....	assistant unit manager
Kerstin Dyroff	....	production manager: VIP Medienfonds
George Filias	....	assistant unit manager
Yannis Karachalios	....	assistant production manager: Greece
Julie Lau	....	production manager
Michael Murray	....	unit production manager
Vasso Patrouba	....	production manager: Greece
Thodoris Pavaras	....	assistant unit manager
Vlassis Stathoulias	....	unit manager
Gerry Toomey	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Emmanuela Fragiadaki	....	second assistant director
Julie Heskin	....	third assistant director
Mark Layton	....	second assistant director
Michael Viger	....	first assistant director
Michael Viger	....	second unit director

Art Department
Michalis Astipalitis	....	production buyer
Sue Booth	....	production designer: UK
Giancarlo Di Fusco	....	painter
Prokopis Diakoumis	....	set dresser
Monica Grassi	....	art department assistant
Rebecca Key	....	trovarobe: United Kingdom
Katarina Mazic	....	art department assistant
Tony Rycyk	....	supervising stand-by propman

Sound Department
Sam Auguste	....	dialogue editor
Tim Cavagin	....	sound re-recording mixer
Craig Irving	....	sound re-recording mixer
Mark Kenna	....	consultant: dolby film sound
Mark Lafbery	....	foley mixer
Jonathan Rimas	....	adr mixer
Guillaume Sciama	....	sound mixer
Steve Single	....	sound re-recording mixer
Pierre Tucat	....	boom operator
Poppy Watson	....	assistant sound editor

Special Effects by
Pascal Fauvelle	....	special effects technician
Max Garnier	....	special effects technician
Michalis Samiotis	....	special effects technician
Charles-Axel Vollard	....	special effects technician

Visual Effects by
Benjamin Ageorges	....	digital artist
Stephane Bidault	....	visual effects supervisor
Pierre Blain	....	lead compositor
Christophe Chanvin	....	artistic director
Nicolas Delbecq	....	digital artist
Stéphane Keller	....	matte painter
Jean-Antoine Lacolle	....	digital artist
Johann Quéré	....	CG supervisor
Johann Quéré	....	digital effects artist
Adrien Servadio	....	digital artist
Charles-Axel Vollard	....	visual effects coordinator

Stunts
Rick English	....	stunt performer
Peter Pedrero	....	stunt performer
Jaroslav Peterka	....	stunt coordinator
Rudolf Vrba	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Matteo Carlesimo	....	Steadicam operator
Lelio Copponi	....	camera loader
Claudio Del Gobbo	....	dolly grip
Massimiliano Dessena	....	best boy grip
Stefano Di Pasquali	....	grip
Hatzis Drakonas	....	assistant electrician
Doriano Forti	....	rigging grip
Marco Graziaplena	....	second assistant camera
Vaggelis Kalavritinos	....	electrician
Massimiliano Kuveiller	....	assistant camera
Raffaele Massa	....	focus puller
Tommaso Mele	....	key grip
Giorgio Pezzotti	....	grip
Luca Sardini	....	electrician
Marco Sticchi	....	gaffer
Agostino Vertucci	....	additional second assistant camera
Agostino Vertucci	....	video assist operator
Francesco Zaccaria	....	best boy electric
Agamemnonas Zacos	....	grip

Casting Department
Anna Achiola	....	extras casting assistant
Kostas Agiannitis	....	extras casting assistant
Abigail Barbier	....	adr voice casting
Rutie Blum	....	additional casting: Israel
Louis Elman	....	adr voice casting
Maria Gizeli	....	extras casting assistant
Levana Hakim	....	additional casting: Israel
Katerina Kouliousi	....	extras casting assistant
Maria Laina	....	casting coordinator
Maria Laina	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Natasa Bezdolnaea	....	wardrobe assistant
Vincent Dumas	....	costume supervisor
Daniela Forster-Grube	....	wardrobe assistant
Mélanie Gautier	....	costume supervisor
Adélaïde Gosselin	....	assistant costume designer
Laetitia Harvey	....	costume supervisor
Miriam Kaibano	....	wardrobe assistant
Maria Karabelia	....	wardrobe assistant
Dikaia Katsibri	....	wardrobe assistant
Frédéric Llinares	....	wardrobe supervisor (as Frédéric Linares)
Heidi McQueen-Prentice	....	costume assistant

Editorial Department
Matthew Benns	....	digital intermediate data manager
Paul Ensby	....	digital colourist
Dan Farrell	....	assistant editor (as Daniel Farrell)
Dianne Gordon	....	digital intermediate data manager
Franck Nakache	....	assistant editor
Dominic Thomson	....	digital editor
Jay Warren	....	digital intermediate project manager
Sharon Wong	....	assistant editor

Music Department
George Acogny	....	executive music producer
Christopher Benstead	....	additional music editor
Philip Bodger	....	score mixer
Gary Chester	....	score recording engineer
Andrew Glen	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Efi Filippou	....	transportation assistant
Takis Papanikolaou	....	assistant picture vehicle coordinator
Christos Roussis	....	vintage picture vehicle owner
Meir Sigura	....	picture vehicles coordinator
Sotiris Sotirakis	....	assistant picture vehicle coordinator

Other crew
Fotini Avloniti	....	assistant accountant
Errikos Bari	....	location assistant
Andrea Bosello	....	assistant to producer
Eleni Boumi	....	rushes courier
Josef Brandmaier	....	bank services
Klodiana Camati	....	floor runner
Elena Casimati	....	hotel & travel coordinator
Rachel Desmarest	....	personal dialect coach: Patrick Bruel (as Rachel Berger)
Elizabeth Dorsett	....	production assistant: UK (as Elizabeth Hagan)
Yvonne Eastmond	....	production accountant
Sofia Exarchou	....	assistant script supervisor
Mark Garside	....	production assistant: UK
Mark Gill	....	production runner
Robyn Glaser	....	production coordinator
Christos Godas	....	extras coordinator
Florian Harms	....	legal counsel: VIP
Tom Harnick	....	location manager
Una Hill	....	production coordinator
Aspasia Karaoglani	....	production assistant
Rocco Kieritsi	....	art department translator
Myrto Konitsioti	....	assistant accountant
Despina Konstantinidou	....	assistant accountant
Elena Konstantinidou	....	armorer
Sue Mahoney	....	script supervisor
Massimo Monachini	....	financial consultant
Debbie Moseley	....	assistant accountant
Marianthi Nikolakaki	....	greek production accountant
Vicky Nikoletou	....	assistant camp manager
Berit Norrenberg	....	legal counsel: VIP (as Berit Wetzel)
Stergios Pardalos	....	production runner
Sofia Pateli	....	assistant accountant
Olivier Piasentin	....	production assistant
Kostas Savidakis	....	assistant camp manager
Diane Slattery	....	unit publicist
Tom Truscott	....	title designer
Manolis Tsalikis	....	unit runner
Victoria Vellopoulou	....	location manager
Beverly Winston	....	script supervisor

Thanks
Roberto Almagià	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Les Films de l'Instant (co-production)
• Cinegram (co-production)
• Films 18 Ltd. (co-production)
• Titania Produzioni (co-production)
• G.G. Israel Studios Ltd. (I) (co-production)
• France 2 Cinéma (co-production)
• Forecast Pictures (in association with)
• VIP 3 Medienfonds (in association with)
• VIP 4 Medienfonds (in association with)
• Rising Star (in association with)
• Box Film (in association with)
• Blue Rider Pictures (in association with)
• Canal+ (participation)
• Foresight Unlimited

Distributors

• Canal+ (2006) (France) (theatrical)
• Haut et Court (2005) (France) (theatrical)
• Samuel Goldwyn Films (2007) (USA) (theatrical)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD)

Special Effects

• AutreChose

Other Companies

• 10 Twenty Two Casting  extras casting (UK)
• ARRI Lighting Rental  lighting equipment supplied by
• Blue Rider Pictures  bridge financing
• Forecast Pictures  financing
• Kodak  motion picture film supplied by
• Mayflower Studios  adr recording studio
• Sapex Scripts  post-production services
• Vehicles in Vision  Action Vehicles Supplier (U.K.)

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for some war scenes

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

France | UK | Italy | Greece | Israel | USA

Language:

English | Arabic | Hebrew

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Castle Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, England, UK

Company:

Les Films de l'Instant

Goofs:

Anachronisms: In the United Nations General Assembly vote on partition, a vote is heard from Myanmar. This name was used only since 1989 by the military government; Burma is still the name recognized by the U.S. and most of the world.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Flight of the Red Balloon (2007)

Soundtrack:

Bombin' the Boogie

A very bad movie

O Jerusalem is a terrible movie. Very bad, stilted acting and a very, very bad script. I had looked forward to watching this movie because I read the book and have emotional views regarding Israel's war of independence (or as the Arabs call it, "The catastrophe").

This movie had virtually no resemblance to that book, which was an excellent portrayal of the siege of Jerusalem and was not otherwise burdened down by a phony relationship between a Palestinian and an American Jewish fighter. The pace of the movie did not allow for any meaningful storyline development. Some of the acting was so bad it was laughable, which is sad, because there is no comedy in this story. The lines written only served to exacerbate the bad acting. The shame of it is that while probably low budget, the movie had suffcient props and scenery to have allowed for a better production.

My sad recommendation is to strongly urge you to stay away!