Directed by Aharon Keshales, Naot Papushado

With Ania Bukstein, Danny Geva, Lior Ashkenazi

Israel, 2010

90 min.

Hebrew with English Subtitles

With more Academy Awards nominations than any other country in the Middle East, Israel has earned a reputation as a leading originator of independent film. Yet despite the proliferation of family dramas, war-related films and fascinating documentaries, Israeli cinema has gone light on traditional genre movies. Brace yourself for Rabies, Israel’s first-ever horror flick. Shot in 19 days on a shoestring budget, this gruesome slasher pays homage to its American B-movie roots with a winking, camp-heavy script and an impressive A-list cast (Lior Ashkenazi, Ania Bukstein and Danny Geva, to name a few).

A woman with a dark secret is ensnared in an underground trap by a psychotic serial killer, deep within an Israeli forest. Brother Ofer races to rally help before the killer returns. Meanwhile, a grizzled forest ranger, a pair of rogue cops and four good-looking youths who took a wrong turn en route to the tennis courts get drawn into a roiling ocean of misunderstandings. A ferocious bloodbath ensues. First-time directors Aharon Keshales and Navot Papushado have said the film is an allegory of the state of Israel. Is it a wickedly clever polemic on fear and rage in Israeli society? Or just an excuse to see someone caught in a bear trap? Either way, consider yourself warned: There will be blood. —Shira Zucker

Screened at Tribeca Film Festival, 2011

Contains violence including brief sexually explicit content of a nonconsensual nature.

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