Sallah Shabati
Encyclopedia
Sallah Shabati is a 1964 Israeli comedy film about the chaos of Israeli immigration
and resettlement. This social satire
placed the director Ephraim Kishon
and producer Menahem Golan
among the first Israeli filmmakers to achieve international success. It also introduced actor Chaim Topol
(Fiddler on the Roof
) to audiences worldwide.
The film's name, Sallah Shabati is a play on words; ostensibly a Yemenite Jewish
name, it is also intended to evoke the phrase סליחה שבאתי, "sorry that I came". In earlier print versions of Kishon's short stories which were revised for the film, the character was known as Saadia Shabtai.
This film was nominated for a 1964 Academy Award in the category of Best Foreign Language Film
, a first for an Israeli production, but it lost the Oscar to the Italian
film, Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow
.
, or transit camp. He is given a broken down, one room shack in which to live in with his family and spends the rest of the movie attempting to make enough money to purchase adequate housing. His money-making schemes are often comical and frequently satirizes the political and social stereotypes in Israel of the time.
refused to let the film leave the country because of her unflattering portrayal in the film.
Aliyah
Aliyah is the immigration of Jews to the Land of Israel . It is a basic tenet of Zionist ideology. The opposite action, emigration from Israel, is referred to as yerida . The return to the Holy Land has been a Jewish aspiration since the Babylonian exile...
and resettlement. This social satire
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
placed the director Ephraim Kishon
Ephraim Kishon
' was an Israeli author, dramatist, screenwriter, and film director. He is one of the most widely-read contemporary satirists in the world.- Early life and World War II :...
and producer Menahem Golan
Menahem Golan
Menahem Golan is an Israeli director and producer. He has produced movies for such stars as Sean Connery, Sylvester Stallone, Chuck Norris, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and Charles Bronson, and was known for a period as a producer of comic book-style movies like Masters of the Universe, Superman IV:...
among the first Israeli filmmakers to achieve international success. It also introduced actor Chaim Topol
Chaim Topol
Chaim Topol , often billed simply as Topol, is an Israeli theatrical and film performer, actor, writer and producer. He has been nominated for an Oscar and Tony Award, and has won two Golden Globes.-Early life:...
(Fiddler on the Roof
Fiddler on the Roof (film)
Fiddler on the Roof is the 1971 film adaptation of the 1964 Broadway musical of the same name, with music composed by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein, set in Tsarist Russia in 1905, about Tevye and his Daughters. It was directed by Norman Jewison. The film won three...
) to audiences worldwide.
The film's name, Sallah Shabati is a play on words; ostensibly a Yemenite Jewish
Yemenite Jews
Yemenite Jews are those Jews who live, or whose recent ancestors lived, in Yemen . Between June 1949 and September 1950, the overwhelming majority of Yemen's Jewish population was transported to Israel in Operation Magic Carpet...
name, it is also intended to evoke the phrase סליחה שבאתי, "sorry that I came". In earlier print versions of Kishon's short stories which were revised for the film, the character was known as Saadia Shabtai.
This film was nominated for a 1964 Academy Award in the category of Best Foreign Language Film
Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
The Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the Academy Awards of Merit, popularly known as the Oscars, handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
, a first for an Israeli production, but it lost the Oscar to the Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
film, Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow
Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow
Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow is a 1963 comedy anthology film by Italian director Vittorio de Sica. It stars Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni. The film consists of three short stories about couples in different parts of Italy...
.
Plot
The film begins with Sallah Shabati, a Mizrahi Jewish immigrant, arriving with his family in Israel. Upon arrival he is brought to live in a ma'abaraMa'abarot
The Ma'abarot were refugee absorption camps in Israel in the 1950s. The Ma'abarot were meant to provide accommodation for the large influx of Jewish refugees and new Olim arriving to the newly independent State of Israel, replacing the less habitable immigrant camps or tent cities...
, or transit camp. He is given a broken down, one room shack in which to live in with his family and spends the rest of the movie attempting to make enough money to purchase adequate housing. His money-making schemes are often comical and frequently satirizes the political and social stereotypes in Israel of the time.
Cast
- TopolChaim TopolChaim Topol , often billed simply as Topol, is an Israeli theatrical and film performer, actor, writer and producer. He has been nominated for an Oscar and Tony Award, and has won two Golden Globes.-Early life:...
as Sallah Shabati (as Haym Topol) - Geula Nuni as Habbubah Shabati (as Geula Noni)
- Gila AlmagorGila AlmagorGila Almagor is an Israeli actress, film star, and author.-Biography:Gila Almagor was born four months after the death of her father, Max Alexandrowitz, a Jewish immigrant from Germany who was killed by an Arab sniper while working as a policeman in Haifa...
as Bathsheva Sosialit - Albert CohenAlbert CohenAlbert Cohen was a Greek-born Romaniote Jewish Swiss novelist who wrote in French. He worked as a civil servant for various international organizations, such as the International Labour Organization...
- Shraga Friedman as Neuman
- Zaharira Harifai as Frieda
- Shaike LeviShaike LeviYeshayahu "Shaike" Levi is an Israeli comedian, singer and actor. He is best known for his role in the Gashash HaHiver comedy trio, which won the Israel Prize in 2000..-Biography:...
as Shimon Shabati - Nathan Meisler as Mr. Goldstein
- Esther Greenberg as Sallah's wife
- Mordecai Arnon as Mordecai
Trivia
At first, Foreign Affairs Minister Golda MeirGolda Meir
Golda Meir ; May 3, 1898 – December 8, 1978) was a teacher, kibbutznik and politician who became the fourth Prime Minister of the State of Israel....
refused to let the film leave the country because of her unflattering portrayal in the film.
See also
- List of submissions to the 37th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
- List of Israeli submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film