My cousin Ya’acov’s secret ambition is to go unnoticed. He dreams of becoming a monk, a recluse.
One summer, towards the end of his high school days, he fulfills his monastic ambitions.
He drops out of school and becomes a shepherd
on a forsaken farm in southern Mount Hebron.
The mystery and magic that he discovers in the mountains aren’t exactly greeted with enthusiasm by his family.
This rebellious son’s high jinks draw them into
family quarrels that expose fresh, surprising points of view on themes such as love, war,
and the beard my cousin has decided to grow.
Grandma, for example, has turned out to be an admirer of Joan of Arc, although she supports draft-dodging.
Uncle Shmulik sees quarrelling as just another form of love.
My brother Yehuda thinks that life gives you the most when you expect the least.
This is a docu-comedy with a hint of tragedy;
a family story about one individual’s attempt
to find his own path and independence,
even when those around him think differently.
“This is an exciting film. What loftier purpose does a film serve other than to make us laugh and cry? ‘The Rebellious Son’, like any good film, deals with the life of the individual, and by way of that describes the group, the society, the historic process taking place before our eyes. Like any good film, it is composed of the lovely, enlightened stuff of life, and of life’s difficulties as well, its unsolvable dilemmas. Like any good film, it is a film that listens, that watches, and that succeeds in isolating distilled moments.
Adam Tzachi, “Kippa” Website
It’s very degrading to see humans, especially a grandma, stick their heads into a bucket to drink. Human beings use a cup, or at least cup their hands, to drink. She looks like an animal. Big turnoff. Wonder who they’re trying to appeal to with this video? Obviously not me. Yech.
Thank you Barbara for your comment. You might be right that it wasn’t the best picture to use to promote the film, but to some, the picture represents a feeling of returning to basics, to nature and to helping one another, all attributes that come through watching the wonderful grandmother-grandchild relationship that is woven through the film.