Mountain (2015)

Curiosità

Mountain is a 2015 drama film directed by Yaelle Kayam. The world premiere took place as part of the "New Horizons" competition at the Venice Film Festival, and the film was also screened at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival. Additionally, it was featured at the "New Directors, New Films" festival at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York. The film won the Jury Prize at the San Francisco Film Festival and First Prize at the Fribourg Film Festival in Switzerland. At Fribourg, Kayam also received the Don Quixote Prize for Breakthrough Female Directors. She was nominated for the Best Director award by the European Union.

Production

Director Yaelle Kayam drew inspiration for Mountain from the Mount of Olives: "For many years, I wanted to make a film about the Mount of Olives. The site exudes tremendous power and spoke to me deeply. It holds countless stories, hopes, dreams, and narratives. It’s the oldest active Jewish cemetery in the world."

During one visit, while standing by the grave of poet Zelda overlooking the Temple Mount, Kayam imagined a woman in her kitchen, staring at a pile of dishes in the sink while gazing out the window at the Temple Mount—viewing it as a promise of redemption. This image deeply moved her and inspired her to begin writing the script.

To prepare for the film, Kayam visited the Mount of Olives repeatedly, sometimes dressed in secular clothing and at other times in religious attire, immersing herself in the environment and observing its visitors. She also explored biblical, Talmudic, and Christian texts related to the site and attended Talmud study classes to deepen her understanding of redemption themes.

The film is the first Israeli-Danish co-production, created by Israeli production company July August Productions and Danish production company Windeløv/Lassen. Vibeke Windeløv, one of the Danish producers, previously collaborated with Lars von Trier on films like Dancer in the Dark and Dogville. Post-production was completed in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Kayam drew visual inspiration from the paintings of Artemisia Gentileschi, particularly her depictions of strong women like Judith beheading Holofernes. These influences are evident in the protagonist’s drastic actions at the film’s conclusion and in the interior compositions of the home, crafted with the cinematographer Itai Marom, art designer Neta Dror, and costume designer Hila Galik.

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