The Times of Israel Daily Briefing BONUS: The Reel Schmooze chews over the 1990 Thanksgiving classic ‘Avalon’
Nov 27, 2025
The hosts dive into the fascinating rise and fall of the Israeli rock opera, 'Shaul,' discussing the risk-taking nature of artistic endeavors. They transition into a banter about two films: the feminist Iranian documentary 'Cutting Through Rocks,' focusing on a female councilwoman's fight against social challenges, and the classic 'Avalon,' which captures the immigrant experience during Thanksgiving. They explore the film's creative nuances, including its lack of explicit Jewish labels and the impact of family dynamics during a pivotal holiday scene.
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Episode notes
Double Shot, Double Sick Day
- Jordan described getting both the flu shot and COVID booster in one visit and feeling terrible afterward.
- Amanda offered virtual chicken soup while Jordan planned to get Vietnamese pho to feel better.
Shaul's Short Run
- Amanda recounted attending Shlomo Artzi's new rock opera Shaul and described it as terrible and short-lived.
- She noted the show was heavily hyped, then denigrated and quickly taken off stage despite Artzi's stature.
Humanizing Through Fly-On-The-Wall Filmmaking
- Cutting Through Rocks uses a naturalistic, fly-on-the-wall style that drops viewers into a remote Iranian village without exposition.
- Jordan argued this style humanizes people often seen only as geopolitical adversaries and reveals local reform efforts.
