An American Hippie in Israel
| An American Hippie in Israel | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Ha-Trempist | |
| Directed by | Amos Sefer |
| Produced by | Amos Sefer |
| Written by | Amos Sefer |
| Cinematography | Ya'ackov Kallach |
| Edited by | Amos Sefer |
| Distributed by |
Grindhouse Releasing Box Office Spectaculars |
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Release date
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1972 (limited theatrical) 2013(DVD/Blu-ray) (Digital Restoration) |
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Running time
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95 minutes |
| Country | Israel |
| Language | English |
An American Hippie in Israel, also known as Ha-Trempist (from Hebrew הטרמפיסט, "The Hitch-hiker"), is a 1972 Israeli metaphorical counter-culture film written and directed by Amos Sefer starring Asher Tzarfati. Many have cited this film as one of the worst films ever made. Once thought lost, it was rediscovered decades later by the cult film enthusiasts at Grindhouse Releasing who have digitally restored the film and presented it in Blu-ray and DVD.
Young American hippie and war veteran, Mike (Asher Tzarfati), travels to Israel shortly after his involvement in Vietnam. Hitchhiking and "bumming around" Hippie Mike meets up with three Israelis along his journey — stage actress Elizabeth (Lily Avidan), another female hippie friend (Tzila Karney), and her Hebrew-speaking boyfriend Komo (Shmuel Wolf). They join a larger group of hippies and decide to form an isolated community on a deserted island, where they can live in peace "without clothes, without government, and without borders."
The hippies are not without their foils, and find them in two gun-toting, top-hat-clad, mime-like enforcers (who regularly appear out of nowhere) and who are out to make Mike's life miserable. Reviewer Brian Orndorf notes that, “Sefer doesn't explain who these guys are or what they're ultimately after, hinting that the duo might be the personification of "The Man" out to silence the hippie uproar.”
Led by American Mike, the quartet of hippies manages to survive a gun attack by the mad mimes and the group flees to the uninhabited island. On the road trip to the island, the hippies quickly forget their worries, tossing their clothes in the wind and enjoying the ride in Elizabeth’s chic convertible car. As they drive down the Israeli coast, they stop along the way to make love and to pick up the supplies they'll need on their island - including the purchase of groceries and a live lamb.
They finally arrive at their intended destination and park their car on shore, using a small dingy boat to row their way out to the island. Upon reaching the tiny isolated land mass, the elated hippies do a free form dance, skinny dip and, when dusk hits, settle in for some delicious canned food by the fireside. That night, the hippies pronounce their love for freedom and for each other as well as proclaiming how, “full of shit” the world is. They wake up the following morning however to discover that both their boat and lamb have mysteriously vanished overnight.
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Wikipedia