“A riveting piece, chilling and thought-provoking.”
— Walla!
The Motive
by Tali Shemesh & Asaf Sudri • 2020 • 4 x 30’ • Israel
Credits
Directors / Producers:
Tali Shemesh & Asaf Sudri
On a wintry night in 1986, a 14-year-old boy woke up in his home in Jerusalem, took his father’s rifle and shot his parents and two sisters in the head. Psychiatrists tried to decipher this abnormal act, but none could reach a conclusion of his motive. In the days and months that followed, the boy began to reinvent himself, and to carve out an unlikely path to a successful life. Now, 35 years later, as the experts continue to be disturbed by the dissonance between the character of the boy and the monstrous massacre that he committed, his defence attorney decides to speak.
Press
“A riveting piece, chilling and thought-provoking.”
— Walla!
“A cult documentary series... the kind you have to see right away to not miss out on the hype.”
— Mako
“One of the most important and relevant pieces seen on the screen.”
— Calcalist
Filmmaker’s Biography
Tali Shemesh directed dozens of investigative and documentary television programs, including THE CEMETERY CLUB, which opened DocAviv, and became the most successful Israeli documentary film ever — the winner of the Israeli Film Academy, the White Dove Dok Leipzig Award, and nominated for the European Film Academy. In 2016, Shemesh co-directed the film DEATH IN THE TERMINAL with Asaf Sudri, which won several awards including IDFA, and was picked up by Annapurna Pictures.
Asaf Sudry is a renowned Israeli director and producer, and a European Academy Award winning cinematographer. He directed five critically acclaimed documentary films and two documentary television series, all dealing with burning social, moral, and political issues in Israel. Known for DEATH IN THE TERMINAL (2016), FILL THE VOID (2012) and THIRST (2004).