Three days before he started shooting The Dybbuk Of The Holy Apple Field (screening today in the Panorama) Israeli filmmaker Yossi Somer phoned Fred Zinnemann. "He gave the project his blessing," recalled Somer. Within the week, Zinnemann was dead.
Somer's friendship with the Austrian-born director of High Noon, From Here To Eternity and The Men dated back to the mid-1980s. Tipped off that Zinnemann was staying with the Mayor of Jerusalem, Somer requested an interview. "[He] was gracious enough to give me an hour of his time. For me, it was electrifying. There stood a myth - a pillar of the industry - and here was I, a newcomer starting out."
Somer showed Zinnemann a script he had written. The older man was none too impressed. "It was about Sodom and Gomorrah," Somer said, "Zinnemann told me I should abandon it and start again."
The two kept in touch. Zinnemann saw Somer's 1989 film Burning Memory, and wrote him a congratulatory note. "It is a remarkable piece of work," he enthused, "very moving, with excellent performances and a first-class job by all concerned, especially the director." He gave Somer a present - a copy of a script about the classic Jewish legend 'Dybbuk', which Zinnemann had been working on, but wasn't able to complete.
Somer's film bears little relation to Zinnemann's version of the story. "His script related to an old village in Russia. Mine is set in present-day Jerusalem." Nevertheless, Somer acknowledges the influence of his unlikely mentor.
Somer describes The Dybbuk of the Holy Apple Field - released in Israel in May - as "a fantastic love story in a mythical style", and advises audiences not to go to see it "in search of a realistic portrait of Jerusalem today". The film has already been seen by industry reps in LA and New York. Zinnemann's son came to one of the screenings. "It was very emotional to meet him for the first time," said Somer. "He knew of our correspondence. It felt as if a circle was closing." GM
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