Katzhen

"Katzhen" is a 2005 film directed by Guy Michael. It is considered a modern day Israeli Oliver Twist. The motion picture details the lovely but poignant tale of a young boy who, faced with the loss of his mother and an incapable father, chooses to steer his own path in life. Roaming throughout Israel in a quest for affection and the solidity of a warm family life, Katzhen finds it in unexpected places.

ummary

Katzhen, is left without a stable family structure upon the death of his mother. After his mother's funeral, the young boy finds himself shuttled from one unfit home to another. Caught in a tug of war between his cold aunt and his promiscuous and suicidal uncle – neither of which, knows how to raise a child. He’s eventually sent off from this first stopping point to a kibbutz, where more loneliness and cruelty await him. The little boy is forced to take charge of his own destiny but isn’t quite capable enough to do so.

Like Oliver Twist, Katzhen is distant from other boys, seeming to exist in a world of his own. Despite the many hardships he faces, he never complains, and he rarely cries. Instead, his eyes absorb everything around him, trying to make sense of the scenes of death, sex, and violence that he witnesses. Rootless and insecure, but with a strong spirit and stoic attitude that speak to a maturity well beyond his young age, the little boy boldly tries to take control of his own destiny and find his place in the world.

The film captures the beauty of Israel’s countryside, with shots of vast fields with wild flowers and open clear skies. The gray-blue beach is blanketed in bright white sunlight, and the horizon is almost invisible.

"Katzhen" brings to the forefront the everlasting power that a mother’s love has on her child. Little Katzhen knows what it means to be truly loved, and so is particularly consumed with its loss. In the face of hardship, he retreats into himself, recalling the gentle voice and stories of the one person who really knew how to care for him.

One fascinating element of the film is its complex understanding of human interactions. Instead of pushing for clichéd stereotypes, "Katzhen" seeks an emotional truth. While the little boy slips through the cracks of care and attention at the bustling, if well-intentioned, kibbutz, a nomadic and introverted Bedouin ends up offering the boy great comfort, just by sitting silently next to him. The message of the feature isn’t simply that refuge can be found in unexpected places: "Katzhen" shows how the wonder, imagination, and truth-seeking of youth – when given true freedom – will better guide a child’s soul than any institution.

References

*cite web
title = 17th Annual San Diego Jewish Film Festival
publisher = San Diego Center for Jewish Culture
date = January 2007
url =http://sdcjc.lfjcc.org/sdjff/2007/byfilm.shtml#katzhen
accessdate = July 25

*cite web
title = TJC's "Kathzen" Trailer
publisher = AOL Video
date = February 2008
url =http://video.aol.com/video-detail/tjcs-katzen-trailer/3042230090
accessdate = July 25

External links

* [http://tjctv.com/ "The Jewish Channel"]