Stars

After a two-year study, a television crew undertakes the shooting of a film at the Herzlia Institute for the mentally handicapped in Israel. For two months, the camera follows seven inmates in the runs of their everyday life at the institute, as well as in their families which they reintegrate for certain holidays (Passover, Independence Day…). The contacts established between them and the members of the film crew help to overcome fears on both sides and enable everyone to gradually get to know each other through their relationship with the image. ‘As the mentally handicapped are not able to shield themselves like we are, they reveal their feelings and, in all their frankness, mirror our own. That’s maybe the reason why we reject them, because we are afraid of recognising ourselves in them’ (Z. Postec) ‘Now, we are all stars’, says one of the characters, ‘everyone will see us on the television.’