The Israeli film industry saw a shift in the late 80’s into the 90’s and onward, producing quality films of substance and production value. But in its earlier days good films were few and far between. A handful of those films stands out, and not surprisingly the name Ephraim Kishon is attached to most of them. Kishon, for the benefit of young Israelis and others, was one of the most prominent humorists and satirists in the history of Israel. His brilliance reached well beyond Israel, winning a wide international appeal, mostly in Europe and more particularly so in Germany, a country that once sought to exterminate him as teenager (Kishon was a Holocaust survivor). But enough about Kishon and on to the Blaumilch Canal, a film that was the largest undertaking for the young Israeli film industry at the time.

Imagine a cross between a Kafkaesque Terry Gilliam’s Brazil and Saturday Night Live; Blaumilch Canal is a parody mocking bureaucracy. It tells the story of a lunatic with a mania for digging, escaping an asylum and starting to dig in the center of the busiest street in Tel Aviv. The chaos his actions create is further enhanced by power struggles and bureaucratic stupidity. Some of Israel best actors participated in this film with a list too long to cover. The film stars Bomba Tzur – the Israeli version of John Belushi. Tzur utters only one word through the entire film but makes the most noise... The film also features the best scene in film history pertaining bureaucrats getting high on tea.
Aside of its humoristic message and wonderful acting, the Blaumilch Canal is also a pearl of nostalgia, preserving the atmosphere of Israel in the late 60’s. A must watch.