Off Guard

OFF GUARD – Elad Davidovitch Shicovitch
Director's statement
I have been attending my reserve duty in the military for five years now- and I don’t know why…
It started in my military training- when the question came to me- am I doing something that is wrong in my own eyes?
I served in the armor battalion, a tank driver.
I always tried to protect my "self" in all that mess. Gaza, Genin, Hebron..
The feeling that I was not really meant to be there was always hovering over me.
Wahib El-Hativ is an important character in my life. I met him when I was 14 years old. I was a young boy who jumped over the school fence to smoke a cigarette in the nature reserve- where Wahib worked as an inspector for the past 15 years.
Over coffee and chess games, we learned about each other. Wahib became a second father to me. My relationship with him shaped a pig part of my outlook on life and understanding of who I am today.
When I was drafted to the military, he would call me on Sunday's to wish me a good week and to remind me to take care of myself. On Saturday's I would go visit him and his family in the village.
We talk at least once a week. Threw Wahib I discovered that love and truth are the right way. And mostly that first and foremost we are people who wish to live with dignity and fulfill our aspirations and small dreams.

March 2011-I received a reserve warrant- and again- the anxiety attacks me..
The thought of betrayal, betraying myself, betraying my brigade friends
Leaving them in the battle field and simply deserting?
Why is it that I can't and they can?
How do I face my parents and tell them that I am giving up and turning my back?
Does that make me less of a citizen?
And the big question- Do I continue to sit on the fence or do I make a significant move that will make me feel complete?

The film will be about people. That despite their borders and every day dilemmas are able to see beyond the superficial – to see the real connection between both sides.
In an attempt to understand if there is in fact another way?
I have decided to take my camera with me in my upcoming reserve service and film from my own perspective.
The materials will be combined with earlier footage of mine with Wahib- my dilemmas regarding going to my next reserve service and the chain of choices I make while creating the film.
The film will mostly be from the hero's perspective- in an attempt to create empathy from my point of view of the world. In addition, I am planning to add an inner-voice combined with static-designed frames in order to express the empathy with more than words- in search of correction to his personal reality and hopefully a correction in a more general scale.
It is important to me to make it clear that the film is not meant to preach to the left-wind agenda or to encourage not serving in the military. The film is meant to tell the tale of people who, despite the so-called concrete reality, believe that there is another path/another way to live.