Elil Communication
Dalia Mevorach - Dani Dothan
Elil Communication is the production company of Dani Dothan and Dalia Mevorach. Dothan and Mevorach are a couple who create together deep and contextually rich documentary series and films. The collaborative work of the couple for over 15 years has led to the creation of a inspiring body of documentary works with a distinct personal signature, including unique portraits of artists, musicians, rebels, and celebrities. Complex cinematic characters whose endeavors are constantly in conflict with their families and society's acceptance of them. Dalia and Dani create documentary cinema that explores Israeli society. The characters in their films are always connected to the conflicts that shape this country. The couple directs critically acclaimed films that examine Israeli society from unconventional perspectives. Their films are often in-depth cinematic portraits created as multi-part puzzles that allow the viewer to grasp a complete phenomenon.
Dothan and Mevorach have created two extensive series, the first about Zohar Argov, a prominent singer who was convicted of rape, became addicted to drugs, and ultimately committed suicide in prison. The second series is about the singer Ofra Haza, who achieved international success, led a secretive life without a partner, and died of AIDS when she finally found love. The series place Zohar and Ofra on a shared tragic continuum, portraying them as the king and queen who fought in real-time, each in their own way, for their position in Israeli society and the shunning Israeli establishment. Both series have achieved high viewership ratings, comprehensive reviews, and broad public reactions.
Dothan and Mevorach also create intimate films with a shooting time that spans over years. In the film "The Blue Lamb," they followed artist Menashe Kadishman for three years, capturing his daily life until he opened before them his complex world filled with thousands of sculptures and paintings, herds of sheep that shields him from the world. They filmed Penina Feiler, an 87-year-old communist nurse, during protests against Gaza during war, as she cared for patients in Arab villages beyond the Green Line, and embraced Zakaria Zubeidi, an Israeli-defined terrorist. On May 1st, she marched in Stockholm with a sign that read "Boycott Israel." The days she spent at home were devoted to caring for her elderly comrades in the kibbutz. Dothan and Mevorach have also filmed the mysterious disappearance story of Greek singer Aris San, who arrived in Israel at the age of 16, became a beloved superstar, was suspected of espionage, got involved with the mafia in New York, and disappeared in Budapest.
The collaborative work of Dothan-Mevorach is a testament to the dialogue between individualistic partners who found a way to merge their creative and family strengths as collaborators in scriptwriting, directing, and production. The creative journey is an inseparable part of their life journey. The partnership lasts 24 hours a day. They find themselves talking, arguing, filming, editing, and brainstorming from morning until the eyes close at night. The films by Mevorach-Dothan have been featured in festivals in Israel and around the world, becoming a springboard for discussions about the essence of Israeli identity, the role of the artist in Israeli society, female empowerment, politics, and the individual's ability to change reality.