Talisman
Producers: Micky Rabinovitz, Moshe Edery , Leon Edery
Based on a book by Gabi Tamman
Scripts: Emil Ben Shimon, Ori Ravid
Director: Emil Ben Shimon
About the Movie
Egypt (Cairo), 1947. As the State of Israel is about to come into being, anti-Jewish sentiment is on the rise and causes many families to leave. Rafael’s family also plans to leave, but at the last moment they’re notified that the intended buyer of the family workshop has changed his mind. Rafael, a fun loving, young man, stays behind to try and sell it. He soon finds himself harassed by the 'Muslim Brothers' and contacts the newly-born 'Jewish underground organization'. Rafael becomes deeply involved with the underground and has a stormy relationship with Jordana, a strong, idealist Jewish-Italian woman.
Rafael is torn between his loyalty to his family and the business, and his loyalty to the Jewish community. The workshop cellar becomes a weapon stash in preparation for an upcoming all-out attack on the Jewish community. Rafael juggles on all fronts: he talks to the King’s court and to senior British officers, puts his business in service of the underground organization, manipulates his commanders in the underground organization and mainly tries to protect his beloved community as best as he possibly can. When the attack finally arrives, there is a hard-fought battle: Rafael and the underground organization succeed in protecting the community – but at a painful personal cost.