Documentary at the Museum – "Children of the Sun," a series of screenings and conversations with director Ran Tal
Screening of the documentary film “Children of the Sun,” followed by a conversation with director Ran Tal. The film explores the children of the first kibbutzim and the collective society in which they grew up. Through archival footage, interviews, children’s songs, and old recordings, it brings back to life a vanished world and culture.
Screening of the documentary film “Children of the Sun,” followed by a conversation with director Ran Tal. The film explores the children of the first kibbutzim and the collective society in which they grew up. Through archival footage, interviews, children’s songs, and old recordings, it brings back to life a vanished world and culture.
Additional Details: Children of the Sun
At the end of the screening, there will be a conversation with Ran Tal, the film’s director.
The film Children of the Sun won:
- Best Documentary Film Award, Jerusalem Film Festival, 2007
- 7 Awards from the Israeli Directors’ Guild, including Film of the Year, 2008
- Ophir Award for Best Documentary Film, 2008
2039/2040
The children of the first kibbutzim were born in the Land of Israel at the beginning of the twentieth century to young, hopeful parents. They were called “Children of the Sun”—the children of the revolution of the sun among the peoples in the Land of Israel.
Their parents, kibbutz founders who had immigrated from Europe, tried to create a new society in Palestine, in which the traditional family would be replaced by the collective one, individual will would be subordinated to the good of all, and everyone would live in equality.
The “Children of the Sun” grew up in a small, strange, and wonderful world, whose mistakes, wounds, and longings they still carry to this day. They did not choose to be part of their parents’ revolution; they were born into it.
They were educated according to the model of the “new human being”—a hardworking, moral, and courageous kibbutz member, “a person for whom partnership is second nature.” The group was their first family; it was where they grew up, argued, and loved.
Using amateur films found in crumbling archives, audio interviews, children’s songs, and old recordings, the film brings to life a vanished world and a lost culture. The rare tapestry of materials from which the film is woven creates a deeply personal story as well as a highly universal one—a kind of overarching story of one of the most fascinating myths of the Zionist movement in the Land of Israel.
