The Mystery of Mr E
A multi-story, hypnotic and trance-like document, where a personal perspective intertwines with literature, illustrated with never-before-seen archives from Hlasko's life and the place he chose as his…
The Mystery of Mr E
A multi-story, hypnotic and trance-like document, where a personal perspective intertwines with literature, illustrated with never-before-seen archives from Hlasko's life and the place he chose as his temporary refuge. Marek Hlasko - writer, rebel, carouser - was described by the press as the Polish James Dean due to his striking resemblance to the famous actor, and as the Polish Boris Pasternak for the stunning quality of his prose and an experience of forced immigration. Escaping the tumultuous political climate in Poland, he arrives in Israel in the late 1950s. The land and its people become his inspiration, but also a curse and a trap of sorts. He carefully observes the attempts of new immigrants to settle down while also trying to make a living himself. He cannot publish in Polish, so he works as a labourer. Exhausted by physical work in the burning sun, followed by the Polish secret police, forbidden to return to his homeland - he learns to love the new country and its inhabitants. A multi-story, hypnotic and trance-like document, where a personal perspective intertwines with literature, illustrated with never-before-seen archives from Hlasko's life and the place he chose as his temporary refuge. 8th Day of Khamsin is a story about a dream country that turned out to be a nightmare for many, as the writer's watchful eye noticed over half a century ago. What was supposed to be an angry life and legend becomes a compulsion. Man - his own shadow. Society - a shadow of its legend. Unique archival materials from private collections, funny segments from propaganda newsreels, fragments of Hlasko's novel, non-obvious, innovative editing shots showing elements of the reality of the young country "hidden under the carpet", contemporary photos in the spirit of street photography, burned by the deadly light of the Middle East during the day and drowning at night in the darkness of "dirty deeds" - Hlasko's original vision, which the director consistently follows. Both in archival and contemporary material, the camera identifies people who seem to have been taken straight from the pages of Hlasko's prose, revealing that this prose has documentary value.
The Mystery of Mr E
Crime
Film Details
A multi-story, hypnotic and trance-like document, where a personal perspective intertwines with literature, illustrated with never-before-seen archives from Hlasko's life and the place he chose as his temporary refuge. Marek Hlasko - writer, rebel, carouser - was described by the press as the Polish James Dean due to his striking resemblance to the famous actor, and as the Polish Boris Pasternak for the stunning quality of his prose and an experience of forced immigration. Escaping the tumultuous political climate in Poland, he arrives in Israel in the late 1950s.
The land and its people become his inspiration, but also a curse and a trap of sorts. He carefully observes the attempts of new immigrants to settle down while also trying to make a living himself. He cannot publish in Polish, so he works as a labourer.
Exhausted by physical work in the burning sun, followed by the Polish secret police, forbidden to return to his homeland - he learns to love the new country and its inhabitants. A multi-story, hypnotic and trance-like document, where a personal perspective intertwines with literature, illustrated with never-before-seen archives from Hlasko's life and the place he chose as his temporary refuge. 8th Day of Khamsin is a story about a dream country that turned out to be a nightmare for many, as the writer's watchful eye noticed over half a century ago.
What was supposed to be an angry life and legend becomes a compulsion. Man - his own shadow. Society - a shadow of its legend.
Unique archival materials from private collections, funny segments from propaganda newsreels, fragments of Hlasko's novel, non-obvious, innovative editing shots showing elements of the reality of the young country "hidden under the carpet", contemporary photos in the spirit of street photography, burned by the deadly light of the Middle East during the day and drowning at night in the darkness of "dirty deeds" - Hlasko's original vision, which the director consistently follows. Both in archival and contemporary material, the camera identifies people who seem to have been taken straight from the pages of Hlasko's prose, revealing that this prose has documentary value..