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King Bibi

  • Israel, USA
  • Documentary
  • 2018
  • 87 min.
  • Director(s): Dan Shadur
  • Producer(s): Liran Atzmor

Synopsis

Twenty years before the spectacle of Donald Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu already understood the political benefits of a toxic relationship with the media, and direct communication with the public. King Bibi explores Netanyahu’s rise to power, relying solely on archival footage of his media performances over the years: from his days as a popular guest expert on American TV, through his public confession of adultery, and his mastery of the art of social media. From one studio to another, “Bibi” evolved from Israel’s great political hope, to a controversial figure whom some perceive as Israel’s savior, and others – as a cynical politician who will stop at nothing to retain his power.

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Credits

Director(s)

Dan Shadur

Producer(s)

Liran Atzmor

Script

Dan Shadur

Editor

Neta Dvorkis, Dan Shadur

Original Language

Hebrew, English

Subtitles

English, French

Sound Designer

Itzik Cohen

Narrated by

Alon Aboutbul

Main photo credit

Kobi Gideon GPO

Festival Highlights

Tallgrass Film Festival, USA, 2019

Buffalo International Film Festival, USA, 2019

Chargin International Film Festival, USA, In Competition, 2019

Atlantic International Film Festival, Canada, 2019

Global Peace Film Festival, USA, 2019

Jewish Motifs International Film Festival, Poland, 2019

San Francisco Jewish Film Festival, USA, 2019

Jersey Shore International Film Festival, USA, 2019

Moscow Jewish Film Festival, Russia, 2019

Montreal Israeli Film Festival, Canada, 2019

The National Center for Jewish Film, USA, 2019

New Haven International Film Festival, USA, 2019

Washington Jewish Film Festival, USA, 2019

Toronto Jewish Film Festival, Canada, 2019

Cleveland International FIlm Festival, USA, 2019

Santa Barbara International Film Festival, USA, 2019

Jerusalem International Film Festival, Israel, Documentary Competition, 2018

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Reviews

  • "“...carefully selected and well-edited footage, some of it quite rare, spanning Netanyahu’s life and career, showing how he mastered the art of performing before a camera and built his political longevity on performance... a very fair and honest account of Israel’s most controversial figure... you really must watch 'King Bibi'" "
    - Haaretz
  • ""An amazing puzzle of archival footage is pieced together to expose Netanyahu’s image in the media. His source of power is exposed. It is striking to see such an elegant documentary that deals with the most burning subjects of our existence here, without being blunt and without preaching. This is a must watch... Anyone who thinks he knows anything about Netanyahu has to watch ‘King Bibi’""
    - Timeout
  • ""Fascinating insight into the media evolution of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu""
    - The Washington Post
  • ""Deep, fascinating, disturbing" "
    - Mako (Israel’s most viewed TV channel):
  • ""A stirring experience... fascinating and enlightening". "
    - Walla (Israel’s most read website)
  • ""This film will fascinate Bibi's haters and admirers alike... Shadur disables the background noise of the media to create a sharp and accurate portrait. He forces the viewer to examine how Bibi's presence changed Israel over the years. How Netanyahu changed your own life""
    - Makor Rishon (Israel’s most prominent conservative magazine)