Bourekas films ( he, סרטי בורקס) were a genre of Israeli-made comic melodrama films popular in Israel in the 1960s and 1970s.

History

Haaretz ''Haaretz'' ( , originally ''Ḥadshot Haaretz'' – , ) is an Israeli newspaper. It was founded in 1918, making it the longest running newspaper currently in print in Israel, and is now published in both Hebrew and English in the Berliner f ...

'' film critic Uri Klein describes Bourekas films as a "peculiarly Israeli genre of comic melodramas or tearjerkers... based on ethnic stereotypes". They were "home-grown farces and melodramas that provided escapist entertainment during a tense period in Israeli history". The term is said to have been coined by the Israeli

film director A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, p ...

Boaz Davidson Boaz Davidson ( he, בועז דוידזון, ; born 8 November 1943) is an Israeli film director, film producer, producer and screenwriter. He was born in Tel Aviv, Israel and studied film in London at London Film School. Biography Davidson was ...

, the creator of several such films, as a play-on-words on the "

Spaghetti Western The Spaghetti Western is a broad subgenre of Western films produced in Europe. It emerged in the mid-1960s in the wake of Sergio Leone's film-making style and international box-office success. The term was used by foreign critics because most o ...

" genre, known as such because that particular Western subgenre was produced in Italy. Bourekas are a popular food in Israeli cuisine. Although Bourekas films were some of the most successful in the box office, they typically received terrible reviews from critics. They were cited as "low-brow" and "vulgar", with great concern as to this genre of film representing the Israeli people abroad. In critiquing '' Sallah Shabbati'' Biltzki in ''

Al HaMishmar ''Al HaMishmar'' ( he, על המשמר, ''On Guard'') was a daily newspaper published in Mandatory Palestine and Israel between 1943 and 1995. The paper was owned by, and affiliated with Hashomer Hatzair as well as the Hashomer Hatzair Workers Pa ...

'' said, "Because parties in Israel are presented not only in the distorted mirror of a distorted humor but also in the ugly mirror of the image of public and organizational life...One has to think twice if such a film should represent us abroad". At the end of the 1970s, the popularity of the Bourekas film declined. In the 1980s, Israeli films became more politically charged and began to address controversial topics. Nowadays many of the Bourekas films have gained

cult In modern English, ''cult'' is usually a pejorative term for a social group that is defined by its unusual religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs and rituals, or its common interest in a particular personality, object, or goal. This ...

status in Israel.

Themes

The main theme in most Bourekas films is the conflict between ethnic cultures in Israel, in particular between the Mizrahi Jews and the Ashkenazi Jews, and in colonialist terms, between the "third world" (Mizrahi) and the "first world" (Ashkenazic). Zuckermann, Ghil'ad (2005)
"''Abba, why was Professor Higgins trying to teach Eliza to speak like our cleaning lady?'': Mizrahim, Ashkenazim, Prescriptivism and the Real Sounds of the Israeli Language"
'' Australian Journal of Jewish Studies'' 19, pp. 210-231. The protagonist is usually a Mizrahi Jewish man, almost always poor, canny and with street smarts, who comes into conflict with the institutions of the state or figures of Ashkenazi origin—mostly portrayed as rich, conceited, stuck-up, cold-hearted and alienated. In many of these films, actors imitate different Hebrew accents, especially that of Jews originating from Morocco, Persia, and Poland. They employ

slapstick Slapstick is a style of humor involving exaggerated physical activity that exceeds the boundaries of normal physical comedy. Slapstick may involve both intentional violence and violence by mishap, often resulting from inept use of props such a ...

humour, alternative identities and a combination of comedy and

melodrama A modern melodrama is a dramatic work in which the plot, typically sensationalized and for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodramas typically concentrate on dialogue that is often bombastic or exces ...

. Zuckermann (2005) argues that although "burekas films like ''snúker'' (

1975) and ''khakhám gamliél'' ( Joel Silberg 1974) are regarded by many as the epitome of mizrahi culture, heyare hybridic and modelled upon Ashkenazic ''shtetl'' life as in ''kúni lémel'' and ''shtétl kabtsíel'' in Méndele Móykher Sfórim's ''beémek habakhá''." In a paper entitled "A Shtetl in Disguise: Israeli Bourekas Films and their Origins in Classical Yiddish Literature", Rami Kimchi claims that the portrayal of Israeli Mizrahi communities in these films bears a strong resemblance to the portrayal of the 19th century East European shtetl by classic Yiddish writers.A Shtetl in Disguise, Rami Kimchi
/ref> Kimchi attributes the commercial success of these films to their "hybridity", i.e. they were Israeli/Mizrahi and Diasporic/Ashkenazi at one and the same time, thereby satisfying the political, sociological, and psychological needs of both Mizrahi and Ashkenazi audiences in Israel. He believes eleven films produced between 1964 and 1977 make up the corpus of the genre.

Actors and directors

Bourekas films were highly successful in Israel during the 1960s and 1970s, but were also criticized for being shallow. Some of the main actors and directors were: * Ze'ev Revach: an actor and director who participated in many popular Bourekas film comedies such as '' Hagiga B'Snuker'' (1975), '' Charlie Ve'hetzi'' (1974), ''Rak Hayom'' (1976), ''Gonev Mi'ganav Patoor'' (1977), ''Ta'ut Bamispar'' (1979), ''Ha-Muvtal Batito'' (1987), ''Lo La'alot Yoter'' (1979), ''Sapar Nashim'' (1984), ''Pa'amaim Buskila'' (1998), and more. Revach eventually became the person which is most identified with the Bourekas films and continued to create those films until the end of the 1980s. *

George Ovadiah George Ovadiah (; he, ג'ורג' עובדיה; fa, گرجی عبادیا; c. 1925 – 1996), also known as George Obadiah, was an Iraqi-born Israeli film director, scriptwriter and producer.Amy Kornish and Costel Safirman, Israeli Film – A ...

: a director who created many melodramas which were influenced (and at times copied) from the

Turkish cinema Cinema of Turkey or Turkish cinema (also old known as ''Yeşilçam'' literally means ''The Green Pine'' in Turkish language), () or Türk sineması is the sobriquet that refers to the Turkish film art and industry. It is an important part of ...

. The most prominent of his films are : ''Ariana'' (1971), '' Nurit'' (1972), ''Sarit'' (1974), ''

West Side Girl ''West Side Girl'' ( he, נערת הפרברים, ''Na'arat Haparvarim'') is a 1979 Israeli drama film directed by George Ovadiah, and starring Ofra Haza, It sold 114,000 tickets in Israel. Plot Vered (Ofra Haza) is a beautiful blind girl who se ...

'' (1979), and more. Obadiah also created comedies like ''Nahtche V'Hageneral'' (1972), ''Fishke Bemilu'im'' (1971) and ''Koreyim Li Shmil'' (1973). *

Yehuda Barkan Yehuda Barkan ( he, יהודה בארקן; 29 March 1945 – 23 October 2020) was an Israeli actor, film producer, film director, and screenwriter. He was noted for his appearance in Israeli comedy cult classics of the 1970s, and for producing a ...

: an actor and director who participated in many Bourekas films such as '' Lupo'' (1970) and ''Lupo B'New York'' (1976), '' Katz V'Carasso'' (1971), ''Charlie Ve'hetzi'' (1974), ''Hagiga B'Snuker'' (1975), ''Bo Nefotzetz Million'' (1977) and more. Barkan also played in the 1980s ''Abba Ganuv'' film series and directed them. *

: a director of many Bourekas film comedies such as ''Charlie Ve'hetzi'' (1974), ''Hagiga B'Snuker'' (1975), ''Mishpahat Tzan'ani'' (1976), and ''Lupo B'New York'' (1976). His films ''Charlie Ve'hetzi'' and ''Hagiga B'Snuker'' had a 'revival' in the 1990s and a status of Israeli cult film status. * Yosef Shiloach: Played in several Bourekas film comedies, in parallel with a set of dramatic and more serious roles he played in a variety of Hollywood films. A character which is identified with him in particular is "the Persian"—a somewhat sensual grotesque who possesses a strong Persian accent. * Tuvia Tzafir: Played in several Bourekas films, particularly in the role of the grotesque "Ashkenazi" character. *

Menahem Golan Menahem Golan ( he, מנחם גולן; May 31, 1929 – August 8, 2014, originally Menachem Globus) was an Israeli film producer, screenwriter, and director. He was best known for co-owning The Cannon Group with his cousin Yoram Globus. Cannon sp ...

: a director and producer of many fiscally successful Bourekas films such as ''Fortuna'' (1966), ''My Margo'' (1969), '' Lupo'' (1970), ''Queen of the Road (Malkat haKvish)'' and '' The Contract''Meir Schnitzer, Israeli Cinema: Facts/ Plots/ Directors / Opinions, Kinneret Publishing House, 1994. P. 118. (both 1971). *

Haim Topol Chaim Topol ( he, חיים טופול; born September 9, 1935), also spelled Haym Topol, Mononym, mononymously known as Topol, is an Israel, Israeli actor, comedian, singer, film producer, author, and illustrator. He is best known for his portra ...

: Starred in ''Sallah Shabati'' (1965) before his breakout

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-winning role in the 1971 film adaption of ''Fiddler on the Roof''.

Subgenres

" Gefilte fish" films, also known as "bourekas for Ashkenazim", are a marginal group of Bourekas films that feature Ashkenazi protagonists and ghetto folklore. Some films in this subgenre include: :*''Two Kuni Lemels'', 1966 (Israel Beker) :* '' Lupo'', 1970 (Golan) :* ''Kuni Lemel in Tel Aviv'' (1976) (Joel Silberg) :* ''Lupo in New York'' (1976) (Davidson) :* ''Hershele'', 1977 (Joel Silberg) :* ''Marriage Tel Aviv Style'', 1980 (Joel Silberg) :* ''Aunt Klara (HaDoda Klara)'', 1977 (Avraham Hefner)

Notable films

Several prominent Bourekas films are listed below in chronological order of production. * '' Sallah Shabbati'' (1964)—directed by Kishon and the first Israeli film to be nominated for an Academy Award"Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow" Wins Foreign Language Film: 1965 Oscars
/ref> * '' Fortuna'' (1966)—directed by

* ''Moishe Vintelator'' (1966)—directed by Uri Zohar * ''999 Aliza Misrahi'' (1967)—directed by

* ''Two Kuni Lemels'' (1966)—directed by Israel Beker * ''Our Neighborhood (HaShkhuna Shelanu)'' (1968)—directed by Uri Zohar * ''My Margo'' (1969)—directed by

* ''Queen of the Road (Malkat haKvish)'' (1971) * '' The Contract'' (1971)—directed by Menahem Golan * ''Salomonico'' (1972) * ''Ha-Meshahnei'a Ba'am'' (1973) * ''Haham Gamliel'' (1973) * '' Kazablan'' (1974)—a story of a young Mizrahi man who falls in love with an Ashkenazi girl, starring Yehoram Gaon * '' Hagiga B'Snuker'' (1975) * ''Yi'ihiyeh Tov Salmonico'' (1975)—with Reuven Bar-Yotam

References

{{Film genres Film genres Lists of Israeli films 1960s in film 1970s in film