This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War, and many documentaries are being released about different aspects of the war.
For decades, there has been criticism of how the military handled this war, but almost all of that scrutiny has been directed at the army. The Air Force on Yom Kippur, to be shown on Hot 8 and Hot VOD beginning September 18, looks at the Israel Air Force during that conflict – a more complicated subject than you might have thought.
The documentary, directed by Levi Zini, traces the history of the IAF leading up to the war, starting with the War of Attrition in the early 1970s. Israel had begun using the American-made Phantom jets; however, the Egyptians were also acquiring sophisticated missile technology from the USSR, complicating the IAF’s mission.
The movie incorporates archival material, including declassified documents, as well as interviews with pilots and generals, such as former IAF commanders Avihu Ben-Nun and Eitan Ben-Eliyahu. While the focus is on the war, it also shows the inner workings of the IAF. Anyone interested in military aviation and military history will want to see it.
Suspenseful crime shows on Israeli TV
THERE ARE several suspenseful crime series currently available, from all over the world. North Shore, showing on Hot 3, Hot VOD, and Next TV, tells of an investigation into the death of a British young woman in Sydney. Her mother, Abigail (Joanne Froggatt of Downton Abbey), is a high-powered English politician who goes to Australia to reclaim the body of her vivacious daughter. John Bradley (Game of Thrones ) steals most of his scenes as the unassuming British police detective who is sent to observe the investigation.
The entire cast is very good, including Kirsty Sturgess as a detective in charge of an investigation for the first time, which brought back memories of Helen Mirren in the first season of Prime Suspect. This is the kind of well-made British murder series that has always been a hallmark of British television, and it hooks you from the first few minutes.
Netflix is featuring the fact-based Norwegian series, The Lorenskog Disappearance. If you enjoyed The Bridge, this show is for you. When a billionaire’s wife is kidnapped from a home with little security, everyone is a suspect.
The series alternates episodes from the points of view of different groups affected by her kidnapping, including the police investigating, journalists deciding how to cover the incident, the victim’s family, and suspects. All of it is done with the twisty plotting and understated touch we’ve come to expect from Nordic noir.
If you prefer your mysteries with a sunnier setting, try Who is Erin Carter?, also on Netflix. Erin Carter (Evin Ahmad) is a British teacher living in a gorgeous beachfront community in Spain, although we learn in the first few minutes that she moved there suddenly a few years before, with her daughter.
Now, Erin is married to a nurse (Pep Ambros) and seems to have a very quiet life. But when she is in a supermarket that gets robbed, one of the thieves recognizes her, and it turns out she is hiding a secret. The plot and tone reminded me of The Long Kiss Goodnight, a 1996 movie with Geena Davis as a housewife with amnesia, who turns out to be a government assassin.
AND JUST Like That... Samantha (Kim Cattrall) returned, in the first few minutes of the very last episode of season two, which airs on Hot. As promised, it was just a brief phone conversation, where Samantha speaks to Carrie from London, explaining why she can’t attend Carrie’s “Last Supper,” the final dinner party in Carrie’s apartment before it is sold.
But Cattrall, wearing a silver lamé trench coat over a red dress, and holding a lime-green purse – she was dressed for the appearance by Patricia Field, the legendary stylist responsible for many of Sex and the City’s iconic looks – instantly reminded us what AJLT has been missing: Samantha’s outrageous, sexy, and opinionated persona.
Without her, the original series would not have been likely to catch on as it did. The best part about her cameo is that she referenced a joke from years ago about sneaking into a pool with a fake ID.
The rest of the finale was the uneven mixture that has marked both seasons of the show. The resolution of Carrie’s relationship with Aidan (John Corbett) was bizarrely unsatisfying. But the series has been renewed for a third season and that may have something to do with the hope that Samantha will make more than a cameo in it. Samantha’s reappearance has certainly generated more publicity for the series than anything else so far.