February 18, 2010. The world discovers the one of all the newspapers, pictures of Mossad agents on israeli caught assassination of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, a leader of the Hamas palestinian, a month earlier in Dubai. Against all odds, these are the leaders of the Mossad who are most surprised by this revelation, knowing with certainty that the leaders of the operation are not part of their ranks. An inquiry undertakes to discover the intentions of these mysterious assassins. The ultimate goal of “4” Dubai will prove even more surprising and original…
For his second feature film, Emmanuel Naccache attacks in the service of israeli intelligence, the Mossad. With KIDON, it part of the news which has a focus of controversy in 2010: the assassination of the framework of Hamas, Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, in Dubai. A murder which had been directly attributed to the Mossad.
Flash-back, voice-overs, effects, cartoon, different mechanisms are used in the film to vary the pace and drive regularly a new dynamic. The casting is in charge of heads known. French actors such as Tomer Sisley, Lionel Abelanski, Hippolyte Girardot and Kev Adams share the poster with stars israeli, such as Bar Refaeli and Sasson Gabai.
KIDON surprised as much by his realization that by its storyline unpredictable. We spend a good time in front of this ” comedy spy “.
- The film is based on a news event, what has been the boundary between reality and fiction?
He had to find the right balance between what is kept of this on the news and what is invented. It was mostly to make believe to the public for a period of time that he was in the process of seeing a movie on the true story of the assassination and not my own version of what had happened. I wanted a story that I own but related to this story. This is why I’ve still kept the real name of the terrorist.
- This is only your second film, the cast is composed of actors, very well known, both in France and in Israel. Was he easy to convince?
It was less difficult than I thought. Lionel Abelanski was already in my first film (The syndrome of Jerusalem), he immediately agreed to this new project. I then offered the role to Tomer Sisley who speaks French and Hebrew, this is the case of his character in the film. He has the habit of playing the roles of beautiful kids in action films. In KIDON, it is rather an anti-hero, so it amused him to take a role a little different. I spoke to Kev Adams that I met and found it perfect for this role.
My first film was more famous in Israel than in France. It was easy to convince the actors israelis. Bar Refaeli was very enthusiastic, his role was a lot of laughter.
- You hadn’t no fear of causing harm to the Mossad, ridiculing them?
Not because it is a comedy. There was a side a bit ridiculous in the way that the real history is put in place. The problem of the secret service, by definition it is that they are secret, you never hear about them, except when they do something ridiculous, or generalissimo. When there is a failure, it does not speak about it immediately.
The fact that people make fun of them at the cinema, and it makes it a little less worrisome and dangerous. It’s good that they are under-estimated. Go for broken arms, it can do them good on a daily basis in their relation with their enemies.
- You were not to revive the controversy on this story?
I would have liked. When the family of Mabhouh has heard of the film, she wanted to make us a trial for banning the movie, it makes a lot of noise in Israel. We were rather pleased that people are talking about it.
The film is still very far from reality, and this is a comedy that taps on all of the world: the Mossad, the French, the Russians, the Iranians, the Palestinians, Hamas. All the world is housed in the same boat.
I question rather the role of the media. In this story, nobody thought to say: “and if this was not the Mossad “. The Dubai police said that it was agents of the Mossad, nobody opposed it. It is interesting how sometimes, if a information is said to be strong enough and repeated everywhere, it accepts this reality so that it can be wrong.
- It had to be a minimum credible in relation to the operation of the Mossad, have you received any outside help?
The film begins with a meeting of the Mossad, they are the most surprised by what happened in Dubai. Them know that they have nothing to do with this story. I wanted to know who would really have been around this table, how does it work. I wanted a certain realism in the way things are going, how the agents talk, etc
I received the assistance of a consultant, a former general of the Mossad. I’m so drunk my israeli producer to have a consultant, he brought me what kind of a day. It may be his cousin who is a plumber to which he said ” make him believe that you’re in the Mossad, it leaves me quiet.” Since nobody really knows who is part of it or not, I was a little scam to me, who knows.
- What is it gives several comedians on the same shoot?
It was a real mess when they were all together, especially when there were Tomer Sisley, Kev Adams and Bar Refaeli at the same time. Some knew each other from the first film. The new quickly integrated. It was a school yard, everyone was trying to be the funniest, the most beautiful. Each of them wanted to attract the attention of the Bar. It was a parade.
It was a turning of israel, very far from the average French. No lodges are private, not caravans. While the world waits and rests together in the same room. The French were surprised by it at first. It gave the tone of the production good child.
- The shoot is held in Israel?
Everything has been shot in Israel. What happens in Dubai, has been reconstituted in Eilat. We have done a lot of work of special effects to put images of Dubai in the background, to change the name of the streets in Arabic. We would never have had the permissions to shoot there, and if they had been the actors, the israelis would not have had the right to go there.
Zoom in on the director
Emmanuel Naccache was born in France and grew up in Paris. Passionate by cinema, he gives this vocation at a later date. After trade school, he made the board for several years.
To 30 years, it launches out in the cinema. He directed his first film “syndrome Jerusalem” in 2008. KIDON is his second feature film. Influenced by Martin Scorsese, this is the Train of life, Radu Mihaileanu , which makes him want to go behind the camera. At 41 years of age, Emmanuel Naccache wrote and directed. He is currently working on two projects: a thriller in France and a romantic comedy in Israel.
• Realization : Emmanuel Naccache
• Scenario : Emmanuel Naccache
• Main actors :Tomer Sisley, Kev Adams, Bar Refaeli, Hippolyte Girardot, Lionel Abelanski
• Country of origin : France
• Released : may 14, 2014
• Duration : 1h40min
• Distributor : Mars Distribution
• Synopsis : February 18, 2010. The world discovers the one of all the newspapers, pictures of Mossad agents on israeli caught assassination of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, a leader of the Hamas palestinian, a month earlier in Dubai. Against all odds, these are the leaders of the Mossad who are most surprised by this revelation, knowing with certainty that the leaders of the operation are not part of their ranks. An inquiry undertakes to discover the intentions of these mysterious assassins. The ultimate goal of “4” Dubai will prove even more surprising and original…