Aviv (2003)

Infobox Film
name = Aviv: Screwed up Generation


image_size = 150px
caption = Aviv Geffen
director = Tomer Heymann
producer =
writer = Tomer Haymann
narrator =
starring =
music =
cinematography =
editing =
distributor =
released = 1 April 2003
runtime = 80 min.
country = Israel
language = Hebrew with English subtitles
budget =
preceded_by =
followed_by =
website =
amg_id =
imdb_id = 0372775

"Aviv: Screwed up Generation" is a 2003 documentary about Israeli singer/ songwriter Aviv Geffen, who developed from an awkward little boy who was neglected by parents that “would rather buy hash than toys” into a nationally celebrated musician. The film combines old home videos, footage from on stage performances and private interviews in order to track Aviv Geffen's musical success and explain his complex personality.

Plot

The bi-sexual-imaged, anti-macho, rock star famously refused to serve in Israel's military and sees himself as a modern hippie, whose music attempts to change hearts and minds to promote peace. But with his fame came controversy, and Director Tomer Heymann offers a balanced portrayal of a man who's been criticized by fans for becoming “commercialized” and being “a fake."

With a cigarette between his lips, gel in his long black hair, and dark eyes that always look melancholy, it's no surprise that Aviv has won the hearts of teenage girls throughout Israel. “I love you! You're the king!” they scream to him as he sings, and their eyes well up with tears as they sing along to his ballads. But it's not just pubescent nymphets that adore his lyrics. He also appeals to the politically minded because of his leftist lyrics. When Ariel Sharon was campaigning for office, he hoped to use one of Aviv's song as his theme song. And just before his assassination, Yitzhak Rabin and Aviv hugged on stage after the two collaborated to organize a rally to support the Oslo process.

Given his upbringing, Aviv's development into a singer and songwriter seems only natural. The son of writer and poet Yehonathan Geffen, Aviv was endowed with a love for words early on. At six, he started playing guitar; at seven, full of angst from towards his parents already, he wrote his first song, which is captured on home video. The documentary shows him rocking on a porch swing, looking dwarfed in comparison to the large guitar in his lap as he sings about his parents' divorce with a squeaky soprano voice. It would be years before his talent would be recognized and appreciated. Until then, he spent his teenage years playing his songs for his grandmother in the basement and serenading the home video camera with his mother.

Despite all the fame and praise he enjoys, "Aviv: Screwed up Generation" makes it clear that beneath his guise of confidence, the famous musician is full of insecurities and frustrations. In a crowded airport, Aviv, exhausted, retreats from his fans into a bathroom where he collapses on the tile floor and admits that being a celebrity is “embarrassing” and “bums him out.” His makeup is as much a disguise as it is a creative expression. “I started wearing make-up to separate myself from the audience,” Aviv confides, “I don't dare look at them in the eyes.” Although he's full of appreciation for his fans, he's somewhat afraid of his listeners and feels very misunderstood.

References

*cite web
last = Robinson
first = George
title = Facts Tell The Stories
publisher = The Jewish Week
date =March 25 2005
url =http://www.thejewishweek.com/news/newscontent.php3?artid=10666&print=yes
accessdate = August 13

*cite web
title =Israel Rocks: A Journey Through Music of Visions and Divisions
publisher= The National Center for Jewish Film
url= http://www.brandeis.edu/jewishfilm/Catalogue/films/isrocks.html
accessdate = August 13

ee also

*Aviv Geffen
*Israeli music
*Jewish music

Other relevant documentaries:
*Professional Revolutionary
*Rabin (film)

References

External links

* [http://www.studiomlive.com/reviews/blackfield_interview0503_jdt.html Interview with Geffen]