Review "Antarctica:" Israeli Cinema Out Loud and Proud

The state of Israel often makes front page news, and not in a good way. But as many GLBT people are finding out, there's another side to life in the Holy Land.

Over the past two decades, the Israeli Parliament quietly passed a number of pieces of federal pro-gay legislation. The gay ban on serving in Israel's military is long gone. Employment and housing discrimination protections were also implemented, gay couples can now inherit from one another, and be named as beneficiaries on each other's insurance policies.

The biggest surprise came not long ago, when Israel began recognizing the legal marriages of its gay citizens. Gay Israelis can now marry in South Africa, Spain, or anywhere else where gay marriage is legal, and return home as a fully married couple, with all the rights and responsibilities that marriage entails.

Additionally the tropical, beachfront city of Tel Aviv has emerged as a gay mecca where GLBT people live freely and openly. It's not unusual to see a gay couple strolling down the city's upscale Dizengoff Street, hand in hand, exchanging occasional kisses.

With this new openness, Israel's film industry has begaun hosting a gay cinema of its own. Many of these films such as The Bubble and Yossi and Jagger, are finding their way to America , where audiences are impressed with the frankness of the subject matters.

Yair Hochner's Antarctica, newly released to DVD by Here! Films, is a case in point. As the movie opens, viewers are treated to a collage of one night stands which one Tel Aviv hunk engages in. When Danny (Yiftach Mizrahi), one of his tricks, falls in love with him, Danny finds himself being pushed away.

Three years later, the two meet again. Danny is an aspiring ballet dancer. His choreographer is none other than his brief fling from three years prior. This time it's Danny who's not interested.

But Omer (Tomer Ilan), a handsome, studious librarian, is very interested in Danny. Omer is also drawn to Ronen (Guy Zo-Aretz), a journalist. The lives of these three, and the lives of the various people they sleep with, are intertwined in the days that lead up to Omer's 30th birthday party.

Antarctica's acting is flawless. The cast brilliantly conveys the aching loneliness and reaching out that comes with a life of pursuing one night stands — a life that far too many gay and bisexual men can get caught up in. The film attempts to teach us how fleeting and precious love can be, and how foolish we are to reject it when we find it.

Unfortunately, director Yair Hochner makes a few mistakes along the way. The film is much longer than it needs to be and some of the scenes ramble. A bizarre subplot in which Ronen joins a support group for people who claim to have been abducted by aliens — he's doing a story on them — makes little sense.

A more puzzling move on the director's part is the casting of Noam Huberman as Shoshana, Omer's mother. Huberman is clearly meant to look like a drag queen, yet is playing a female role — not a transgender role. Huberman also plays Amram, Shoshana's fiance. Is the director trying to make a statement about gender identities with Huberman's unusual dual roles, or is he trying to be humorous? This is never made clear and detracts from the drama.

But when Hochner points his camera at Omer, Danny and Ronen, magical sparks fly. Each actor owns their characters. They're hungry for love, trying not to make mistakes.

Those who might want to look to Antarctica as a travelogue of gay Tel Aviv might be disappointed — most of the film was shot indoors. There are only a few brief scenes filmed in the City's downtown area, which is seen only as a backdrop. But the mere existence of a film like Antarctica stands as a testament to the openness and tolerance that Israel bestows upon it's gay citizens.

Other than a theatrical trailer, no other extras are offered with Here!'s disc.

An earlier film by director Yair Hochner is also available on DVD. This shocker of a story stars Danny Efrat and Yuval Raz as Meni and Tal, two Tel Aviv hustlers who meet while "performing" together for a client. They end up falling in love.

But fate isn't kind to the pair. Before they can meet for a real date the following night, Tal is kidnapped, brutally raped and held captive by a corrupt police officer.

The dark world of street hustling is a dangerous one, and Hochner doesn't attempt to sugar coat this reality. Anyone thinking of entering that world might be wise to have a look at the superb, if disturbing Good Boys. While one of the men finds a way out of this dark tunnel, the other does not.