Disappeared

Titled in Hebrew, Hane'elam (The Disappeared), the original film was intended to address a contentious subject in Israeli society and one of the military's absolute taboos - the rising number of soldier suicides. The ambitious production was of a scope rarely seen in the local film industry at the time and included hundreds of soldier-extras, an entire armored brigade, military helicopters and special operations personnel. With an estimated budget of one million USD and a cast of leading Israeli actors and actresses, shooting commenced in multiple locations around the country, among them also a top-secret missile base. Soon after editing began and preparations for its commercial, nationwide distribution were underway, The Disappeared disappeared. The Disappeared conjures up the story of a film that was denied the right of appearance and left to languish in the limbo of censorship. As such, the film in and of itself is available only via the recollections of the individuals who took part in its creation, revealing the elusive history of a forbidden image. —Gilad Baram & Adam Kaplan