“I’m a Civil War” – Film Screening and Director Q&A

About the Film

Haim Gouri, the award-winning poet and journalist, is considered one of Israel’s most important intellectual thinkers. He was the recipient of several of Israel’s highest awards for his work as a writer and poet – including the Bialik Prize and the Israel Prize. Following his death earlier this year, Gouri was described by Israeli President Reuven Rivlin as the “poet of independence, the poet of friendship” and also as the “nation’s contemporary poet.”

Omri Lior’s film “I’m a Civil War” follows Gouri’s life from his birth in Tel Aviv in 1923 until 2010 through interviews with the poet and archival materials. The documentary explores his journey as a poet against the backdrop of – and through Gouri’s involvement in – critical moments in the history of Israel and Israeli poetry. The film also examines Gouri’s role as a prominent figure among Israel’s founding generation and the impact of his work on the national ethos of Israel, including through his poems about the War of Independence and founding of Israel that were turned into some of the country’s most beloved songs.

Running time – 57 minutes. In Hebrew with English subtitles.

About the Director

Omri Lior, is an Israeli documentary filmmaker, born in Haifa in 1952. Lior studied Telecommunications and Film at San Diego State University in California. After graduation, he returned to Israel and for the next 25 years worked as a producer/director, making a range of films and TV programs.

In 2001, Lior began studying Hebrew literature at Ben Gurion University of the Negev. During these studies, his project “Words with a View” first took shape. This documentary series – which includes the film “I’m a Civil War” – tells the stories of some of Israel’s leading authors and poets through interviews and archival materials.