The Specialist

The world has seen little of Adolph Eichmann, the architect of the "final solution," until this controversial new documentary. Eichmann's trial in 1961 was broadcast only in "highlights," mostly focusing on the testimonies of survivors (which were a revelation at the time). From 300-plus hours of unreleased footage, Moroccan Israeli director Eyal Sivan (IZKOR, 1990 SFJFF) has crafted a riveting, vérité-style courtroom drama that draws its inspiration from Hannah Arendt. This German Jewish philosopher chronicled the case in one of her most famous works, On the Banality of Evil, which has yet to be published in Israel. The footage appears to bear witness to Arendt's thesis that Eichmann was not an ideologue, but rather a very talented civil servant. The polite and ordinary-looking man describes himself as a "drop in the ocean; a tool in the hands of superior powers," then recounts with meticulous detail how he developed the transport systems that carried most of Europe's Jews and Gypsies to their death. He seems incapable of making a moral judgement. The film raises a question that is central to "bureaucratic crime" everywhere: At what point do we become responsible for our actions when we are just doing our job?

Born in September 1964 in Haïfa Israel, Eyal Sivan grew up in Jerusalem. He left school before completing is studies to devote himself to photography. In 1982, during the Lebanese War, when he received his call-up papers, he was declared unfit for service by the Israeli army. He became a fashion photographer, then left Israel to move to France in 1985. As a pro palestinian militant , his films are about displaced polulations, the propaganda use of memory in Israel, and civil desobedience. His work has been awarded in many international films festivals. 1996-99 THE SPECIALIST Official selection Berlin Film Festival 1999. Co-author and director of a 120 minutes documentary film, based on the Hannah Arendt's book "Eichmann in Jerusalem, Report on the Banality of Evil" Co-author with Rony Brauman of PRAISE OF DESOBEDIENCE, Ed Le Pommier / Fayard 1996-97 POPULATIONS IN DANGER Four documentary short films (13 minutes) Co-director with lexis Cordesse ITSEMBATSEMBA - RWANDA, ONE GENOCIDE LATER Special mention - Festival Documentary Cinema Bilbao 1997 Merit Winner - San Fransisco International Film Festival, 1997 BURUNDI UNDER TERROR / FOCA, ABSOLUT SERBIA / WAR WEARY KABOUL 1995 AQABAT JABER, PEACE WITH NO RETURN ? Momento / La Sept/Arte / Amythos 1994 Theme Evening about Jerusalem "JERUSALEM, JERUSALEMS" Conception and direction of a four hours television programm for Arte "JERUSALEMS, BORDERLINE SYNDROME" 60 minutes Documentary - La SEPT / Arte - Amythos 1993 ITGABER, HE WILL OVERCOME A two parts documentary : "ON SCIENCE AND VALUES" and "ON LAW AND THE STATE" Interviews with the Israeli philosopher and scientist Professor Y. Leibovitz. Les Films d'Ici / France 3 / Amythos / Image & Cie. Video Distribution : Editions Montparnasse. 1991 ISRALAND 58 minutes Documentary - Israël / Palestine, three weeks during the Golf War. IMA Productions / FR3 / Etat d'Urgence. Official Selection at the Etats Généraux du Documentaire, Lussas 1991. 1990 IZKOR, SLAVES OF MEMORY 97 minutes Documentary about collective memory in Israel. IMA Productions / FR3 / ZDF / Rhéa Films / Adam Express Procirep Prize & Special Mention of the Jury at FIPA 1991 - Investigation Prize at the Documentaries European Biennale, Marseilles 1991 - Golden Lens, Tel Aviv 1991. 1987 AQABAT JABER, PASSING THROUGH 81 minutes Documentary. Dune Vision / UNRWA. Great Prize of the Jury at the "Cinéma du Réel", Paris 1987- Golden Crown at the Festikon, Amsterdam 1988 - Air France - Radio France Prize at the Belfort Film Festival, 1988 - Jury's Prize in the social-political Section at the International Film Festival, Oakland 1988 - Jury's Special Mention at the Internationale Filmwoche, Mannheim 1988