Why a Menachem Begin documentary? And why now?
In an alarming time of rising anti-Semitism, educating people on the history of the Jewish people and the founding of the State of Israel is of utmost importance. We have the opportunity to not only bring to life a true and under-recognized “profile in courage” but also educate the young and future generations on the story of the Jewish people and the founding of the State of Israel. Begin was a principled man, fighting for the universal human desire for freedom, and dedicated to serving the greater good of the Jewish people – and his story needs to be more widely known.
Where are we in the process?
- Pre-production has begun! We kicked off the project this May and will continue pre-production through August, including preliminary interviews starting the first week of June in Israel. This stage is 100% funded.
- Production is scheduled from July to September with pick-ups in December and January; the production stage is 100% funded.
- Post-production is anticipated to run from October to May; this stage is less than 5% funded.
- Marketing & Distribution is an ongoing financial commitment with more investment required during the later stages.
Distribution Strategy:
- All Jewish Film Festivals
- All key International Film Festivals
- Have begun meetings with HBO and Netflix
- Have held meetings with major distribution companies in LA to represent the documentary for international distribution
- Will be shown daily at the Begin Heritage Center in Jerusalem (600,000 attendees per year)
- Have begun discussions with Christian Television Networks
- Documentary will be part of a curriculum developed by 3 National education organizations and will focus on high school seniors and college freshman
Key Progress Points:
- Our award-winning director, Jonathan Gruber, has begun filming.
- Creation of an exciting and content-rich website
- A print case-statement has been created: HLI_Smaller_Brochure_Email_14Oct2018 copy
