David Avidan

From the year 3005, a delegate from the future arrives in 1985 to convince the present leaders make certain World War III happens, which he guarantees will make for a better future. Having already caused natural disasters and catastrophes by coming back from the future, he now tries to force his message on the world press and TV.

David Avidan was perhaps most known as one of Israel’s leading poets of the 1950s and ‘60s however, at the same time, he was also dabbling in quite a bit of experimental filmmaking. Avidan described Split as "a film about the need to get rid of film," in which he explores the line between visual media and the written word.

"The image is universal; the country of origin is Israel, confirming that its young are not different from others elsewhere. The atmosphere is cool, modern, Western; the decor utilitarian, the style avant-garde. Nothing detracts from the soft abandon of the scene. This film is banned in Israel. And who said that Israel cannot make sex films? Yet the contrasting myths of Israel as an idealistic society given to righteous self-improvement or a militarist-orthodox state bent on self-aggrandizement are so strong that this work comes as a surprise. Its manifold copulations, sophisticated stance, avant-garde modernity, and political thrusts stamp it as the testimony of a new generation. One sequence: "A vision of the Virgin Mary waiting for the Holy Ghost to do his thing, as Avidan's voice sings a tearful Yiddish refrain and Joseph the Carpenter bangs on the door, before going to take his vengeance by building a cross."" — Amos Vogel

"The image is universal; the country of origin is Israel, confirming that its young are not different from others elsewhere. The atmosphere is cool, modern, Western; the decor utilitarian, the style avant-garde. Nothing detracts from the soft abandon of the scene. This film is banned in Israel. And who said that Israel cannot make sex films? Yet the contrasting myths of Israel as an idealistic society given to righteous self-improvement or a militarist-orthodox state bent on self-aggrandizement are so strong that this work comes as a surprise. Its manifold copulations, sophisticated stance, avant-garde modernity, and political thrusts stamp it as the testimony of a new generation. One sequence: "A vision of the Virgin Mary waiting for the Holy Ghost to do his thing, as Avidan's voice sings a tearful Yiddish refrain and Joseph the Carpenter bangs on the door, before going to take his vengeance by building a cross."" — Amos Vogel

From the year 3005, a delegate from the future arrives in 1985 to convince the present leaders make certain World War III happens, which he guarantees will make for a better future. Having already caused natural disasters and catastrophes by coming back from the future, he now tries to force his message on the world press and TV.

From the year 3005, a delegate from the future arrives in 1985 to convince the present leaders make certain World War III happens, which he guarantees will make for a better future. Having already caused natural disasters and catastrophes by coming back from the future, he now tries to force his message on the world press and TV.

"The image is universal; the country of origin is Israel, confirming that its young are not different from others elsewhere. The atmosphere is cool, modern, Western; the decor utilitarian, the style avant-garde. Nothing detracts from the soft abandon of the scene. This film is banned in Israel. And who said that Israel cannot make sex films? Yet the contrasting myths of Israel as an idealistic society given to righteous self-improvement or a militarist-orthodox state bent on self-aggrandizement are so strong that this work comes as a surprise. Its manifold copulations, sophisticated stance, avant-garde modernity, and political thrusts stamp it as the testimony of a new generation. One sequence: "A vision of the Virgin Mary waiting for the Holy Ghost to do his thing, as Avidan's voice sings a tearful Yiddish refrain and Joseph the Carpenter bangs on the door, before going to take his vengeance by building a cross."" — Amos Vogel