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DOCAVIV 2021

Review: Summer Nights

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- Ohad Milstein's Docaviv-winning film is a mesmerising, tender and intimate documentary that explores what it means to be a father

Review: Summer Nights

Israeli director Ohad Milstein's latest documentary, Summer Nights [+see also:
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, triumphed at Docaviv, winning the Best Israeli Film Award (see the news). It is an intimate and tender film that explores the question of what it means to be a father.

In order to do this, Milstein focuses on his six-year-old son, Alva. The doc opens on the night before the boy's first day of school, and as the kid tries to fall asleep in bed with his father, he starts asking the tough questions, about life, death and God, and is particularly interested in how old his father will be when he himself is 86.

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This conversation – probably recorded over more than one night – serves as a background in voice-over to images of Alva during his last summer before school. They whisper, so as not to wake the boy's little sister, which creates a hypnotic effect. Some of the footage is dream-like, too, like Alva in his pyjamas climbing a big rock, or a shot of an open door taken from inside a room, with curtains billowing in the wind, and beyond is what appears to be a desert. The colouring is intentionally off, so it is hard to tell if it is day or night, or if the orb in the sky is the Sun or the Moon.

Alva's mum is Swiss, and they spend part of the summer in Bern. Alva plays with butterflies, as he and his father walk through the picturesque Swiss countryside. The boy also has his first crush, a cute blonde neighbour, and asks his dad for advice on how to get closer to her.

While the bright, inquisitive Alva is in every shot, Summer Nights is really a film about being a father. Milstein introduces us to his father, too, first asking about why he had kept his own father's picture hidden in a cupboard. In a lovely parallel, in two instances the director cuts his son's and his father's hair – and neither is happy with the result. Of course, later, grandpa and Alva will have their moments together, too, deepening the concept and leaving the viewer to ponder their own questions about family relations, growing up and growing old.

Technically, Summer Nights is a masterwork: it smoothly transitions between the oneiric and earthly sequences thanks to the inspired editing by the director himself, as well as to Shahaf Wagshal's creative sound design, which often serves as a bridge between the two modes and moods. The combination of Ishai Adar's original score and Vivaldi's flute and string pieces from "The Four Seasons" adds a playful level that, at times, strikes as self-deprecating.

Even though it is a decidedly small, intimate affair, Summer Nights offers a singular viewing experience. There are many intimate family movies, and plenty of experimental films, but rarely are these two forms put together to such a satisfying effect. Although it is only 53 minutes long, conforming to TV format, this film should be seen in a quiet, dark room with a big screen and powerful loudspeakers.

Ohad Milstein produced this Israeli film himself, with support from KAN – Israeli Public Broadcast Corp, The New Fund for Cinema and TV and Mifal HaPayis.

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