Written by Cal Kemp


Opening Christmas Day, "Waltz With Bashir" is a film with a rather intriguing structure; an animated documentary that tries to blend factual history with abstractions of dream and memory. Writer/director Ari Folman, captivated by his friend's recurring dream about his time in the Israel Defense Force and his service in

Lebanon in the 1980's, comes to realize that he, himself, has blocked his own military service, especially his part in the Sabra and Shatila massacre. Embarking on a journey both inward and outward, Folman interviews other Israeli veterans and transforms their stories into an often-haunting onscreen experience.

Though Folman may not be a household name in the United States, his work has met with critical acclaim and shows a history of blending fact with fiction and formalism with pop-culture.

In sitting down with Folman, I discussed the role of animation in film today and asked why, he feels, animation has just now reached the point where it can be accepted on a level like this ("Waltz with Bashir" is the one of two animated documentaries this year, following "Chicago 10"). He also discusses his next film, an adaptation of Stanislaw Lem's "The Futurological Congress" which, in addition to once again employing the use of animation, will be his first English-language film.

And in case you haven’t seen the trailer, you can see it below the interview, all with 6 clips from the movie.

Ari Folman Interview

Waltz with Bashir Trailer

Clip 1 – 26 dogs

Clip 2 – Dump the dead

Clip 3 – My regiment

Clip 4 – Bot with an RPG

Clip 5 – The airport

Clip 6 – Ron Ben-Yishai